Normal Life RELOADED
by me.be.NELZ
Summary: back for some trimester two fun.
1. Chapie 1

I grumbled as my alarm went off. A new trimester at school. I loved MEA so much, it was not fun to go back to school. I threw a pillow as my alarm kept getting louder - the pillow hit and the alarm fell over. But instead now my curtains instead of half-mast went all the way up and the sun shinned brightly into my room. I groaned into my pillow as I pulled the covers over my head. Damn Macey for doing whatever she did to make that work. Suddenly I heard a knock. I groaned and looked up. I plopped my head back down as soon as I saw Zach smirking. Wait a sec! Of course I did a double take, which caused him to laugh.

"Morning Sleepyhead," he told me as I slowly got into a position of resting my elbows on the bed.

"What are you doing in my room?" I asked groggily. I had a right to know, I mean it was my room.

"Making sure you got up and get to school on time. I mean the way you massacred your alarm clock - boy who knows if you would get up or if the person waking you up in the morning would die! It looks like your uniform isn't laid out, do you want me to get that for you?" It took me a whole minute to process what he had just said. Most of it came in a blur. After a few minutes he coughed.

"Can you repeat that?" I asked. It all went in one ear and out the other. He just smirked.

"Get ready for school, or do you need help with that?" I immediately blushed and threw a pillow at him, trying my hardest not to scream. He laughed and ran out of my room. I quickly pulled my drapes so I knew he wouldn't watch. What was up with him?! That's when it hit me - 'I'll be making my moves'. I rolled my eyes thinking of how cheesy that sounded. I slowly got out of bed and put on my uniform. Was he babbling when he came in? I smiled a little bit knowing that I gave Zach some speech problems. The usual passive boy was having a little problem with talking to a girl he actually may like. Then I heard a knock at my door.

"DON'T, come in," I replied a little harshly.

"That's too bad, I don't take orders from you," and just like that Mace came in. she looked me up and down and then said, "You look like a mess." I glared at her. If she was woken up like that she would be just as… uncalm as I was. Then she grinned. "Did you get a wake up call form a certain someone?" she asked. I didn't know whether to think she was talking about Kyle calling me (which would never happen) or Zach coming in.

I guessed option 2.

"Did you tell him too?" I asked suspiciously.

"No, I didn't even know something happened! But now you mention something I want to hear _all _about it," she smiled mischievously. I shut my eyes and wished for sleep.

~*~*~*~

"Wait, so he just left after he said that?!" Mace almost screamed. I pushed my pillow over my head trying to drown out the rage coming from Mace. "I cannot, believe he said that and left you _hanging_," she replied. I shrugged. She just stared at me. "DOES THIS NOT IMPACT YOU?!?!" she yelled at me, then she caught up with her words. Then she grinned.

"You like Kyle."

It wasn't a question, but a statement. Her voice was 100% sure she had cracked the code. I groaned as I fell back onto my bed.

"I knew it! I knew it!" she went chanting around my room in circles with a huge smile. I got up and she shrieked. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?!" I sighed as she came back over to me, to try and fix my hair.

"MACE! CAMMIE! WE'ER GOING TO BE LATE!" I heard Grant call for us and stood up but only got my hair pulled in the process.

"Ow Macey! We're going to be late for school! Did you NOT hear Grant?"

"Screw him. You have to look pretty for your first day of the trimester," she said in a high pitched voice. I just rolled my eyes. My 'prettiness' was only me having my hair pulled back into a pony tail with a headband to keep my hair back. "Alright let's go."

I sighed as we ran down the stairs to Grant waiting in his car.

"God, Grant. Why don't we ever take your car to school?" Mace demanded as we slid in the car.

"Well, I don't want some high school punks keying my car," he responded. I knew Mace rolled her eyes.

"And I'm sure kiddies have nothing better to do than find a nice car and key it," Mace replied. Grant huffed. I just sat in the back seat quietly like normal.

We pulled in a tad late, but still enough students outside to stare at Grant's car. "I'm glad people will see us and immediately get jealous," Mace grinned. Grant and I just rolled our eyes. She was obviously the first to get out. Grant and I waited in the car, hoping that most of the crowd went with Mace.

"Ready to go?"

"You betcha."

We stepped out of the car only to be seen by the whole freshman class and more. Grant stared wide mouthed as I put my hand over my face.

"I thought we had driven this car before," I talked with Grant as we made our way to the school.

"No way, why would I do that? My car is my precious baby!"

"More precious than Bex?" I laughed as he caught himself.

"Get outta here," he joked as he shoved me into a group of boys. They all kind of held me for a second before Grant growled at them. I've never seen a group of boys run so fast in my life. I laughed as we kept walking to my locker. I wasn't surprised with what I saw.

"Cammie I love you?" Grant snarled it out. I had papers all over my locker door with Zach + Cammie = hearts I tried not to laugh as Grant tore the signs down. I never knew Zach was _this_ sort of person. "If there's any more of this…" he didn't have to finish. I already knew he was going to say 'let me know'. But he was just being over protective. I didn't really care. I would let Zach come into the race. I opened my locker as soon as Grant left, only to find notes. I just stared. Why did I start getting notes again?! Suddely my locker was slammed shut.

"Hey, Cammie," Zach said slipping between me and my locker.

"Uh, hey Zach. What's up?" I asked. I was going to be straight forward with him.

He did a double take, probably because I was actually talking to him and not trying to avoid the subject. Then he smirked his signature smirk. "A date," he started out. "Between you and me." I stared at him, as if I were shocked.

"You wish that would happen don't you?" I asked. I guess I wasn't going to be so straight forward. Play a little hard to get, see if he still wants to play. He smirked. He picked up on the game.

"Oh, I'll get you to go on a date with me… just wait and see." With that he moved from my locker and I assumed went off to his first period. I rolled my eyes as I opened my locker once again. I threw the notes into the bucket, but before I did something caught my eye.

There was a note in the bucket. I stared at it, but then realized I must've forgotten to take it out or something like that. I dropped all the folded up pieces of paper back to the bottom of my locker and opened up the note. It was written in nice hand writing. It said:

There are two reasons why I wake up in the morning: my alarm clock and you.

I stared at it for a moment. Who the hell would write something like this? First of all what boy has this nice of handwriting?!

"Hey Cammie!" I jumped a little at a familiar voice. I turned around to see Thomas in a _Roseville_ uniform. I looked him up and down and he looked at me in confusion.

"I'm never going to get used to you wearing that," I told him. He shrugged. Then spun around for me. I laughed at him trying to be all lady like. It didn't suite him. "So what class do you have first?" He scrambled to take out the piece of paper folded from his backpack. He quickly unfolded it.

"Uh, first I have Latin," he replied. I looked down at my schedule. I had gym first.

"Uh, alright. I'll take you to the Latin room. Then I'll show you the direction to… what's your second class?" I asked.

"Advanced English," he replied. I stared at him. Was he as smart as Kyle was?!

"Well alright," I spat out. "I'll show you to Latin, then I'll meet you at this spot," I told him stopping in my tracks.

"Wait, where's the Latin room?! We're near the gym!" I laughed.

"Yeah, the Latin room is that one right there," I pointed straight ahead. _Well this was going to be simpler than I thought_. "Well I'll see you after class!" With that I ran to the gym and into the locker room. I quickly got changed and was out of the locker room before the bell rang.

"Just made it, Morgan," Mr. DeCrans told me. I just shrugged. I was on time, so no big deal. "Today we will be -" I zoned out until everyone started getting up. I quickly got up with everyone else. I had no idea what we were doing.

"So you're going to be my partner right?" I spun around the all-too familiar voice. I groaned as I saw everyone have a partner. I had not choice, but to be paired up with the famous Zachary Goode.

~*~*~*~

"Cammie!" I looked up to see Bex sliding into the seat next to me. "So how was first period?" she asked smiling.

"Uh, it was fun. Who did _you_ have it with? You seem to be like over joyful," I teased. She blushed a little. "So what class did you have with Grant that you got to sit with him?" I rephrased.

"Introduction to photography is AMAZING!" she squealed. I laughed. The bell rang and our discussion was ended. Or rather let's say the teacher gave us one of the meanest glares of my life.

~*~*~*~

"Finally, a class with you!" I laughed as Thomas looked a little relieved. "So what do you learn in home economics?" I smirked thinking about how I would be able to tease him about his cooking.

"Cooking, DUH," I stated as if it were the most obvious thing. Well it was the most obvious thing. He just laughed.

"Uh, you got something in your hair," he muttered as he put his hand in my hair, pulling something black out of it. I stared at him. Just as we were about to laugh a hand slammed down on the table. We both looked up startled. There Zach was right in Thomas' face. "Don't touch her, EVER," Zach glared. He straightened up and walked away.

"Just IGNORE him," I spat out. He looked a little confused but then he started to understand. He was about to say something but I cut him off. "Nah, Zach will not kill you. He hates competition. Plus it's not like we like each other," he laughed.

"Wait, he thinks I'm out for you?" he asked me. I nodded. Zach was going to go overboard for this month, trying to get ahead while Kyle was away. "Let's tease him." I looked over at Thomas. He looked serious, but in a fun way. He would never try to pull these kinds of stunts. He was more of the I'm-friendly-outgoing-not-trying-to-pick-a-fight-and-make-enemies type person.

"You're kidding right?" I said in a chuckle. He looked at me dead in the eyes and nodded his head yes. After 8 seconds of staring into each other's eyes I couldn't take it and burst out into laughter. I guess I was too loud because everyone looked at me while I was trying to calm myself down.

"Gee, take it easy," Thomas muttered. I just smiled at him. This was going to be a fun month if he wanted to help me toy with Zach.

~*~*~*~

"Alright, three classes done, four more to go." We were walking to our next class. "So what class do you have next?" I asked.

"Advanced Geometry," he replied back. Jeez, was this kid as smart as Kyle?!

"Alright, I'll meet you right here," I said right outside of his classroom.

"Where's your classroom?" he asked. I pointed to the one right next to him. He grinned.

"See you later classroom buddy."

~*~*~*~

"Class dismissed." I got up and ran out the door. Thomas was there standing waiting for me. That's when I realized the girls on the other side staring at him. He saw me and smiled. He came towards me and I saw the girls glare at me. I quickly walked away with him tailing close behind.

"Heeeeeyyyy there, wait up!" I stopped and waited for him as he caught up with a few steps. "Why you walking so fast?" I smiled as we reached my locker.

"Because I wanted to?" I replied, more as a question. He chuckled.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked. I shook my head. How could he read my face so easily? "You lie." Yep, he was definitely able to read my face like an open book.

"What could I be upset about?" I questioned. Then it was his turn to shrug.

"I don't know, but you obviously look somewhat disturbed."

"Psh, like you would know."

"Cammie, I can read your face like an open book." I laughed at how true his words were. He was always able to tell when something was wrong.

I grabbed my lunch and we went into the lunch room. I walked back to my spot Thomas trailing behind. Suddenly I was pulled aside.

"Who is he?" the voice demanded. I rolled my eyes and realized it was Zach. Thomas just looked back but continued walking to the table.

"Who is who, Zach," I replied. I didn't really feel like talking to him, considering I woke up to him this morning.

"Who is that _boy_! Thomas or whatever!"

"That _boy_ is my friend. So back off if you're thinking of scaring him."

"He knows you well. Considereing he just transferred today, how can he know you so well?"

"Because I know him from before! Why are you hammering me with questions? Just back off and deal with the fact that he knows me!" Zach glared at me.

"How do you know him?" he ground out. I rolled my eyes. He was talking this way to seriously.

"I know him from Gallagher. Happy?" I swear I saw his eyes widen a fraction.

"What's your guys' relationship?" he asked. I almost laughed. He thought that Thomas was going to be a competitor. Then Thomas' words about making him jealous came back.

"That's none of your business," I snapped, making sound like he actually meant a little something more to me. Then Zach's eyes actually widened.

"He.. What…" he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the lunch room.

"Ow, Zach that hurts!" I snapped at him as we exited the room. He threw me against the wall and slammed his head near my head. I glared at him. He was taking this whole jealous thing to a whole other level.

"Who is he!" he demanded. I glared up at him. I had the strongest urge to spit in his face, but resisted.

"None of your business, and don't push him around." I glared at him straight in the eyes to make my point clear, then I pushed his arm out of the way and walked into the lunch room. I tried to keep a straight face until the table. But once I got there everyone laughed so I took it as the chance to let it all out.

"So what happened there?" Grant asked.

"He's just jealous of Thomas and I here," I replied in a joking voice.

"You guys are horrible! He actually thinks you two are dating I bet!" Bex stated, pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah, and we'll just call you captain obvious from now on," Mace replied.

"But you guys are just lifelong-good friends," Grant said, OBVIOUSLY confused. I almost laughed at his stupidity.

"Grant, we'll put this in terms you know. Cammie's and Thomas are pulling Zach's leg," Mace replied. He still looked confused. "They're pretending to be in a 'relationship'." Then he nodded in understanding. We all laughed. The bell rang and we went to our 5th period class. Which was science. Bex and I walked in and we saw Joe and Dhine. We all sat together at the 'experimental tables'. That class flew by with a boring syllabus. Then I went to Geometry with Bex. Again the teacher droned on about her syllabus. It was really annoying. We heard the thing the first day of school! There was no need to go through it again. Finally the bell rang, and I pretty much ran out of class. I was so happy to get out of class. I met up with Thomas and we went to our last class, history. With Solomon. After that class, of actually learning something, I was able to go home. I parted with Thomas, then went to Grants car. No surprise, I was the last person in the car. As soon as my car door shut Grant was speeding off.

What a normal day.

* * *

Well… I don't know if that's up in your standards. Quickly wrote it up.

That's your update .wombatsrock. C:


	2. Chapie 2

The next day at school Zach wasn't there. And the next. And the next.

And the next.

I was honestly starting to get worried.

"Do you think this is my fault?" I asked Bex once we sat down at lunch. I quickly picked up my fork and started eating the pasta. It was semi-warm and I wanted to eat it while it was hot. I took a bite of the bread and looked up with my mouth full.

"You're nervous. You're eating huge amounts to stuff your mouth. Chill out," she said in collective sentences. "How is it your fault that he doesn't show up for a few days? I mean, just because you and Thomas were joking around, doesn't mean he has to freak out all about it. Personally I think he's over freaking," she ranted. I looked up from my food and saw Mace nodding and Grant just getting to the table.

"Heeeeeeeyyyyyyyy Cammie!" Grant greeted as he and Thomas sat down. I put on a smile and said hi back.

But deep inside I was a little worried about Zach.

~*~*~*~

I went to the rest of my classes like normal and then went home. I did the usual of doing the homework, and laying on my bed thinking about the day. I decided that I was curious about Zach so I sat up and peeked through my drapes. I looked but saw that for once his curtains were closed. I opened my drapes further in disbelief. He _never_ shut his drapes. I saw that both sides were shut and put my drapes back in place.

He closing his drapes just made me feel worse than I did earlier. I felt that now I knew that it was because of me. Otherwise he would've kept his curtains open. After that I pretty much convinced myself that it was my fault.

"CAAAAMMMIIEEE!" I heard Mace yell my name as her footsteps got louder. As predicted my door flew open. "Hey, I'm making Grant take me to the mall because the newest coach shoes came out. I hope you'll be fine by yourself," she said closing the door already. She knew that I wouldn't want to go with her (which she didn't understand) and she needed someone to drive (seeing that our parents weren't home yet). It all added up. As soon as I processed that thought I heard the door slam and I knew they were already gone. Out the door. Already.

Not that much later I went back to feeling sore about Zach. I decided that I was going to have to do something nice to make up for it. And then I got the greatest idea.

Cookies.

So I went down the stairs and down the hall into the kitchen. I got on the counter and kneeled while going through the cupboards looking for the cooking mix. Hey, it's not like I have time to make the cookies from scratch.

So I turned the oven on and all that good stuff. I took out a bowl, melted the butter, cracked the egg, put in the mi, and mixed. I took out a pan and put down the cookie sheet. Then I took the cookie dough in little balls and put them on the cookie board spread out. Basic cookie instructions for you there. I started to eat the cookie dough while I waited for the cookies to be done. Damn, I thought I made some pretty good dough.

After a while my cookies were done and I put them on a plate and cling wrap around it. I took the plate up into my room to let them cool off a little bit. Rather I had to go down and clean the kitchen so it looked as if nothing happened. I hurried and cleaned up the bowl and turned off the oven. I made it look as if nothing happened. When I thought it looked the same, I went back upstairs.

I took the plate and went outside. I put the plate on his balcony ledge and hopped over the balcony. I grabbed the plate and walked to his door and stopped. I really hadn't thought this far. I didn't really want to knock on his door, because what if he was sick, or his parents heard, or something like that. I didn't really want to be the one standing outside their son's door with a plate full of cookies. Yeah, that's not me. So instead I placed the cookies in front of his door and went back to my house. I ran down the stairs and opened the door. I grabbed a small rock that hopefully wouldn't scratch the glass. I stood in our driveway and tossed the rock in my hand. Yeah, it was light. So I chucked it at his door. As soon as I threw it I ran back for cover in my house. The rock was bound to hit _somewhere_ on his wall. It would hit glass at least. I ran into the house and into the living room. Safest place. So I thought. I quickly turned on the tv and started watching basketball. Not long after I heard Mace trudging up the stairs.

The door flew open and Mace looked happy. "You-"

"I got them," she finished with a smile. "Hurry up Grant!" she snapped down the stairs. With that she went around the corner to her room. I watched as I saw Grant come out with bags of stuff.

"I see she took you shopping," I remarked. He glared at me and followed Mace. I watched the rest of the game and went upstairs to sleep.

~*~*~*~

I woke up and groaned. Why couldn't it be a Saturday, or Sunday, or a no school day? I slowly got up and changed into my uniform. It was the same morning business.

I got some breakfast and we were out the door. I got to school and it was the same.

With no Zach.

By the end of the school day I was a little sad. I even made him cookies! Maybe he was actually sick. Thinking about everything just made me super tired and I was ready to go home. When the last bell rang I just about jumped out of my seat and went out. I got in the car (was the last person in, go figure) and we drove off.

When I got home I went up to my room and fell asleep: uniform, shoes and all. I heard Mace yell at me for wrinkling my uniform or something like that but I just pushed it aside. I thought I heard Grant tell Mace to shut up and let me sleep but wasn't so sure about that one either. I was already falling asleep.

~*~*~*~

Slowly I started waking up. I thought I heard some music. Then I realized that I had. My CD player had been moved near my balcony door with a song playing. My curtains were open wide and I saw that it was dark outside. I saw the moon and the stars already. I looked up to expecting that my lights were on because of the illumination but they weren't. I looked back to the door and there were candles there. That's when I realized the roses that were there also. I slowly got off my bed and crawled to the CD player. I laid on my stomach and rested my head in my arms as I listened to the next song.

_"__In the middle of the night_

_That's when you caught my eye_

_I chased you round in memories_

_Through the breeze and the trees and you tease me_

_But hey_

_The clock's turning around_

_And you're still playing these games_

_It's such a waste to bring me down, down, down_

_Don't bring me down cause_

_Hey girl, I wanna catch your wave_

_Hey girl, I wanna drift away with you_

_Hey girl, you've got an undertow_

_Hey girl, hey girl, don't wanna let you go"_

I decided I liked that song. Next I sat on my knees and took the roses. As I picked them up I saw a note of paper hidden underneath the roses. I picked it up and put the roses in the crook of my elbow. I opened it up.

_You have no idea how true that song is right now._

_Because I'm not going to let you go. I think that we should have a date_

_- Zach_

_P.S. Thanks for the cookies_

I looked up. How did he know that I was listening to this song right now? I stepped outside onto the balcony to see if he was looking in. His room was dark but I saw him sitting up against his wall, farthest to the glass, the moon lighting up his face. It was obvious to me now that he could see all my movements. I stood out there looking him square in the eyes, through his glass wall. I leaned back on the railing. We stayed like that for 3 minutes. But then he moved. I kept my eyes on him the whole time he made his way through his room. Finally he came out onto his balcony.

We stood there, staring at each other for another 5 minutes. Finally I spoke.

"So how'd you time out the songs?" I asked.

"Skills," he replied, still staring at me. Suddenly I started getting self conscious. I felt myself shiver a little. I was about to go back inside to get a sweatshirt but he hopped over to my balcony. I stared at him as he took off his sweater and handed it over to me. "Put it on," he said softly. I watched him as I slowly reached my hands out to take his sweatshirt. He chuckled.

"It won't kill you," he told me as he moved closer. I fell back a little. I put my hands behind me expecting to fall on my butt, but instead I felt the sideboards of my house. He let out a small laugh. It was so quiet and peaceful, so much different than usual. He kept moving closer and when he gently grabbed my hands I felt my heart skip a beat. I looked away knowing how much I was blushing. How could my attitude towards him shifted so quickly? Not even 12 hours ago I hated his guts for being so mean and rough. But now…

Slowly he put my hands through his sleeves. I realized he was trying to get me to wear his sweatshirt.

"I'm not cold," I said stubbornly, remembering earlier.

"I don't want you to catch a cold," he replied back. His sweatshirt more or less on me, my elbows fully in the sleeves. Reluctantly I put it on. When I pulled my head out of the hood I saw his black shirt up close to me.

"Zach? Wha-"

"What's so great about him?" I stayed quiet. His arms were up against the house, and I could hear his rhythmic breathing next to me. "Why is Kyle better than me? What does he have on me?" he asked quietly. We just stood there, in that position. I didn't want to reply. Zach was intoxicating me, through his smell, his gentleness; everything about him was alluring to him right now.

He was totally making me double take.

I felt something around my waist and I was pulled into a hug. He turned us around so that he was leaning on the house and I was leaning against his chest. My arms were up against his chest and I knew that I was having trouble keeping my breathing steady, I knew I was blushing, and most of all, I knew that Zach was more lovable than I ever thought. He pulled me closer seeing I didn't recoil. He put his head on top of mine and just held me. I focused on my breathing. He smelt like apple pie.

"Did your mom make apple pie today?" I quietly asked. He chuckled.

"Do I smell that strongly of it?"

"Yeah," I said slowly. Slowly I wrapped my arms around his back and laid my head against his chest, and listened to his heart beat. It was so nice… maybe a little too peaceful for our own good.

"_I love you._"

I faintly heard those words, but I wasn't positive because I had fallen asleep. I knew that because the next time I opened my eyes I was on my bed. At first I thought it was all a dream. But then I saw my alarm clock over by the balcony. I knew then that at least I had received a CD and roses. I walked out of my room down the stairs to the kitchen, in search of food.

"Cammie, when did you have a Roseville football sweatshirt?" Grant asked.

"I don't," I replied. I hadn't bought a Roseville sweatshirt, a football one if that. I walked past him to the counter to get a slice of pizza.

"_Goode?_" Grant demanded. I turned around.

"Where? I don't seen him," I replied sleepily.

"You're sweatshirt has 'Goode' as a name and _24_ as a number on the back." That's when I realized that everything had happened: I was still wearing his sweatshirt.

"Whoa," I said slumping down onto the floor, still eating my pizza. "How'd that happen…" I said trailing off. I was just staring off into space, finishing up my pizza to go back to sleep.

"If he ever goes in your room you let me know. Got it?" Grant told me as I walked by him. I gave him the thumbs up as I made it up to my room. I met Macey coming down the stairs.

"Oh, cute sweatshirt," she told me stopping me on the stairs. "Where'd you get it?" she then asked again.

"No idea," I, somewhat, truthfully replied.

"Gosh that gray looks totally cute with those white shorts," she told me as she looked me up and down. Wait, white shorts? I looked down to see that I was no longer in my uniform.

"When did I-"

"Sorry, I couldn't let you sleep in your uniform," she quickly replied, probably to get me to shut up. How was she able to not wake me up! She must've moved me a lot to get my uniform off. I waved off the fact and walked up the stairs.

"That's Zach's sweatshirt?! When did you get his sweatshirt?!" she demanded. I turned back.

"I. Don't. Know."

"You should wear that to gym tomorrow," she told me with a smile. I just glared at her. Yeah, let's get the whole school made at Cammie. I just nodded my head to get to my room more quickly. I got in and shut the door. I let myself slide onto the ground. I looked over at Zach's room. I saw him on his bed, not wearing any of the covers. Seeing how cold I was I decided that I should be a good neighbor and tuck him into bed.

Nah, I was thinking of blackmail.

I quickly grabbed my camera before I went outside onto my balcony. I quickly hopped over and landed soundlessly. I slowly opened the door and slipped inside. I tip-toed over to his bed. I stopped when he started to move, but luckily he only turned around, so his back was to me. I slowly got closer to his bed, making sure that he wasn't awake. I really really quietly got on his bed, making slow movements so he wouldn't feel the sudden weight. I put my camera off flash and put it in front of his face. Click. I pulled it back and looked at the picture. He looked like a normal teenager, sleeping. But his whole face was illuminated by the moon light. It made his face look… sort of hot. The moon lit up different places of his face than normal. I smiled, thinking that I could probably sell this picture for a lot of money.

I decided to take another one, for originality, and probably for more girls wanting to get a different picture of their school hottie. I was about to put my camera in front of his face when suddenly hands were on my thighs and I was falling forward. _Oh shit, he was awake_. I fell on top of him, barely missing hitting my head on the glass. I looked at him and his face was emotionless, but his green eyes were looking into mine.

"You've been caught," he told me. I rolled my eyes. Like I didn't know that already.

"No, I don't think that you have me in your grip and caught me in the act of blackmail." He raised his eyebrow and I realized that I said a little too much.

"Well, hand over the camera then," he replied. That's when I realized he didn't know if I had taken more pictures of him or not.

"Nope," I replied. No reason why I shouldn't go down with a fight.

"You'll be spending the night if you don't give it up," he replied. I scoffed. Like he would actually keep me here. We both knew we would be in deep trouble if we got caught.

He pondered on that a second and I took it as my chance to escape. I quickly pushed off the bed and scrambled out the door. I heard him get out of his bed. I jumped over the balcony. Probably a little too dangerous and over board for this little experiment. But I looked back as I opened my door and he was landing his jump. I realized that he probably had years of practice jumping over that balcony. I quickly went in but not fast enough. As I was shutting the door I saw knuckles grab the door. I was just a tad too slow. I threw open the door instead to stun him a little (and it worked) and looked for a place to hide the camera. I jumped on my bed and hid it in one of my many pillow cases. But the middle row second to the left to be exact. He came in as I removed my hands. He slowly shut the door, probably to make sure not to wake someone up.

"I know you hid the camera in one of the pillow cases," he whispered, "now give it to me."

"Yeah right. You'll have to find it yourself," I replied just as quietly. He looked at my bed and I saw his eyes widen just a pinch.

"Why the fuck do you have so many pillows?" he demanded in a whisper shout. I grinned. I did have a lot of pillows, but that's just how I like it. I smiled and laid down on the pillows.

"Good luck," I replied. "You don't really stand a chance so I would just back out now. I mean, I'm going to sleep, and I wouldn't appreciate you moving my pillows every minute." I turned my back to him and went under the covers. I shut my eyes and hoped I would hear the door. But I heard nothing.

"I like your sweatshirt," I heard a soft voice in my ear. I kept my eyes closed. I would not give him the satisfaction. Then I felt my bed move and a body next to me. I spun around.

"You're not planning on spending the night right? Because if you do I guarantee that Mace and Grant will kick your butt."

"And you won't?" he asked smirking. I blushed. I knew I had to go to bed or something embarrassing would slip out of my mouth. I turned the other way and wished for him to go away. But God hated me today.

Instead I felt him move closer to me and his arm went around my body, pulling me closer to him. Knowing there was nothing I could do to move him, I let it slide. For today. I was too tired to do anything about it. So I fell asleep, feeling his chest up against my back, move up and down in a steady rhythm.

~*~*~*~

I woke up the next day with no Zach beside me. At first I thought that EVERYTHING was a dream, but when I looked down and saw the sweatshirt, I knew the balcony thing was true. Then I thought about the camera. I was about to pull it out when I saw something on my dresser.

It was my camera.

I got up and took my camera and looked back at the pictures. The picture of him sleeping, or pretending to sleep, was still there. I clicked the next button, expecting to go back to the beginning of my pictures. But I had another picture of Zach. I must've clicked the button while I was falling because I had a picture of a reflection, of a smiling Zach.


	3. Chapie 3

I walked down stairs reluctantly, not wanting to see faces, but my growling stomach was overwhelming and I needed to get some food. As soon as I got down Grant and Mace both looked at me. I saw no mom or dad. "Uh, what's up?" I asked going to the fridge to find something to eat.

"Why are you up?" Mace asked me. I looked at the clock. We were getting close to the time to leave.

"Why aren't you trying to get me to hurry my ass up?" I questioned back.

"Because school got cancelled today," Grant said with a grin. I immediately knew now why they were laughing at me. I grabbed a bagel from our bread stack and left to go get more sleep. I walked up and heard Grant start to laugh, even Mace chuckled. Well I didn't know that we didn't have school. Wait why didn't we have school. I turned into my room and something was different. I couldn't quite place my finger on it. I shrugged it off and sat on my bed. I sneaked a peak at Zach's room. His curtains were semi pulled, only his bed showing, everything else the drapes covered. I quickly pulled the curtain back in place and ate my bagel. After I did that I put the hood on the sweatshirt over my head and went under the covers to curl up in a ball. Not long after I was breathing evenly, and to anyone it would sound as if I were asleep. Or so I figured.

I heard my door creak and I tried to keep my breathing even. I heard something being moved and footsteps came closer to me. Then my covers were being pulled off of me. I tried to keep my face straight, and not open my eyes. I heard a click. I realized than that a, Zach was probably in my room. And b, he was taking pictures of me. I still shut my eyes hoping that he would go away and leave me to sleep. So instead I turned around so my back was to him. I heard him chuckle and another click went off. Then I felt a chill go down my spine. Next thing I knew he was tracing his name and number on my back. I decided I had had enough. I turned around to him staring at me.

Awkward moment much?

"Hi," I said striking up the conversation. He didn't speak. I was starting to wonder if I caught him off guard. But he's 'Zachary Goode', he's always prepared for everything. Or so people say… well I guess more like Bex.

"Hey," he replied. Then he suddenly got up and left. Yep, you heard me. Got straight up off the bed and walked out the door. One of the most awkward moments of my life. I just stared at the door, but it never opened again. I saw my camera on my bed and picked it up. Why was he taking pictures with my camera? It made no sense, but I turned it on anyways. I turned it to my pictures. I burst out laughing when I saw the first picture. It was my back turned (with his name and number) and he had the weirdest face on. His eyes were widen open and his mouth was showing all of his teeth, but it was more like a toothy frown than a toothy smile. But whatever, it was still funny. I clicked next and he was pointing at my back. How many pictures of my back did he take? Clicked the next button and he was smiling while I looked as if I was sleeping. Just a normal creeper creeping on a normal girl. Lovely. I chuckled a little at that thought. Suddenly my door burst open and Zach stood there flushed.

"Can I see that really quickly?" he asked. He looked nervous. I looked at him and then back at the camera.

"Why?" I demanded. He looked around _obviously looking for an excuse_. I clicked the next button still looking at him, but he saw and ran over. I turned my back to him but he was already there taking the camera out of my hands.

"Hey!" I whisper-shouted. But he had the advantage of not lying down in a bed. he got the camera and then continued to push me up against my wall and pinch me in between it and him. So I just got to helplessly lay against the wall. "So whatcha doin'?" I asked him.

"Just deleting some pictures… I don't want you to see…," he replied while he was going through my camera.

"Is it necessary that I be sandwiched against the wall and you?" I asked again.

"Mmhm," he replied, pretty much ignoring me. So I got to stare against the wall, while he did whatever to my camera. And you know how boring that can be… so I feel asleep in the whole process. The next thing I knew I was lying down with a breathing in my room. I turned around and it was pitch black. At least my drapes don't let any sunlight in… I opened the drapes a pinch and the bright sunlight shone brightly through the little crack I had just created. I squinted but just the little light lightened up my room a little. I saw Zach lying partially on my bed, but mostly sitting on the floor. I also saw my camera by me. It must've slipped out of his hands while he was sleeping. I was about to grab it when Zach moved. I stopped dead. But he only repositioned himself. I was staring at him when I heard my door open. I immediately looked up.

Grant was standing in the middle of my doorway. Let me tell you, he did NOT look pleased. He pointed at Zach and I shrugged. _'Sorry Zach, take one for the team.'_ He pointed me to get out and I jumped out of bed, careful not to wake him up though. I went downstairs to the kitchen. I seemed to be making that a habit these days.

"Cammie wana watch this movie?" Mace asked me.

"Wait, why was school cancelled today?" I asked.

"Dunno, there was some threat at the school or something," she said dismissing it. "The movie," she went on. So basically she wanted _me_ to go down the street to go get a movie that only _she_ wanted to see. I didn't dare go upstairs and face Grant. I mean who knew what was going on up there. So instead I put on my shoes and went out the door and down the street. I was walking and it was all nice la dee da dee da. I got the movie and walked back. Yeah. Story of my life.

On my way back I heard a car stop next to me. I glanced over and it was a bunch of boys from my school. I groaned. _That _ was when I realized that I was wearing Zach's sweatshirt and how this was looking. While they were rolling down the window I decided to make a run for it. I quickly ran away from the street and into the grass. I heard shouting coming from the car but kept running for the back of the houses. Hopefully I would make it to the woods. Then I heard the car doors. _'Damn his friends. They probably think this is a game or I'm leading them somewhere_', I bitterly thought. I entered the woods full speed, with them calling for me to wait up. I quickly snaked my way through the woods, taking different and awkward turns every other second. Pretty soon I lost the boys, but found myself completely lost. I meandered through the woods when I came across a huge tree with wood nailed into it. I looked up and found myself looking at a huge tree house. Well, nothing left really to do, I decided to go up. I climbed the boards and I felt them give a little bit. Not used for a while.

I got up and threw open the door. It slammed sideways and I heard nothing. I slowly moved up, ready to jump down if something was here. My head was in and I looked around the whole tree house. Totally, completely, empty. I walked up and pulled myself in. I got up and saw a window. I walked over and saw everything. It was all vegetation, but still it looked oddly peaceful. I stood looking for about 5 minutes when I realized that I should probably get going, considering that Macey was waiting for her movie. She probably already told Grant and he was looking for me. I turned around and there was another window. I walked over and saw housing. I was a good half a mile within the woods. I sighed and walked towards the opening and down the steps. I got down and walked back towards the road.

I finally got back and walked in with Macey's movie. I heard hell. Macey freaked out and me for not getting her movie quicker, and Grant yelled at me for going somewhere and not having my cell phone and anything else he was worried about. I tossed Mace's movie down and walked up the stairs. Grant followed me still yelling. I sighed. I knew he was going to get mad at me for not staying by the road, not having my cell phone, getting lost, not telling anyone where I was going. I just went to my room and shut my door on him. I really didn't need him yelling at me. I went to my bed and flopped down. Damn sweatshirt… it all started with the sweatshirt.

Suddenly I heard someone run up the stairs. I looked over and Mace was standing in the door way.

"Where'd the cookie mix go?"

I just stared at her then laughed. She stared at me funny.

"Why are you laughing at that?" she asked. I just couldn't reply.

It all started with the cookies.

Yeah, lame ending I know… review?


	4. Chapie 4

'mmmmm back! enjoy. :)

* * *

The next few days passed by quickly, and soon enough flyers were being passed out for winter activities. I looked at almost every single one, pondering on which one I would try. Yep, that was me. Never sticking with a sport but going through a season and then trying a next sport the following year.

"So what are you thinking this year?" Thomas asked me. We were wandering the halls, slowly making our way home.

"No idea," I replied as we passed another flyer. It was for basketball. Not my taste anymore. Sure a lot of people were trying to get me to play it, but it wasn't my thing.

"What _haven't_ you tired?" he requestioned. I chuckled. That was a good question.

"Not sure," I smiled at him, "I think I've tried every sport I ever could." He laughed and looked to his side. Then he stopped. Obviously that made me stop too.

"Whatcha looking at?" I asked looking around him. He looked back at me with a grin.

"Have you ever tried Alpine Skiing?" I stared at him. Then I burst out laughing.

"Where did you come up with _that_ idea?" I asked. He pointed at a flyer. _Alpine ski team_. Dang. I didn't actually think our school had a team.

"Did you think I was lying?" he asked. I shook my head. Last thing I needed him to think.

"We should probably head out soon," I said, looking around at the now quiet halls. Something you don't really have here at school.

"Yeah… hey do you know what sport Kyle plays?" I froze at Kyle's name, just because I hadn't heard it in a long time. But I quickly composed my face.

"He plays basketball. Why?" I asked.

"Do I have to sign him up or something?" he asked. I laughed.

"If he didn't sign himself up it's his fault. He should've been signed up a while ago anyways. I think they've already started practicing," I replied. It was almost the end of the month. I was pretty sure that basketball started this week in fact.

"Don't _you_ have to choose pretty quickly than? I mean, if basketball's started, hasn't a lot of other sports started too?" he asked. That was a good point. I guess my options were getting smaller every day.

"Yeah. I probably do."

~*~*~*~

So I had a regular morning. The usual get up, get dressed, brush teeth, yada yada. I got to school and Thomas was waiting outside for me.

"Choose what sport you're going to do?" he asked.

"Not really," I replied. "I was going to go to the athletic office and see what sports haven't started yet, and that I might want to try." He laughed. Yeah, normal kids probably would be doing that… they would probably have their own little sport that they play year after year.

"Well that's another way to do it," Thomas laughed. I shrugged. Yeah I guess it was. We walked into the office and the most cheery looking lady looked up.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice. I saw Thomas slightly cringe in the corner of my eye.

"I need to know what winter sports haven't started," I replied a little slowly. She gave a great big smile and went to her computer.

"Alpine skiing, hmm….," she trailed off searching through her computer. I glanced at Thomas and he gave me a look that read 'alpine-ski-is-really-calling-your-name'. I sighed. Maybe it was my thing.

"That's all I need. Thank you," I told her. She quickly looked up and flashed me a smile before getting back to work. We exited her office in awkward silence.

"Well she was cheery." Thomas and I looked at each other and cracked up. Then we just headed off to class.

~*~*~*~

I got home and for once my parents were home. I mean not that they don't come home, just they usually come home later, like around 5. Not 2:47 like it was.

"Hey," I said sitting in the living room. Mace went upstairs and Grant went into the kitchen for his after school snack. What a pig.

"Cammie, do you want to try driving?" mom asked me. I sat there a little stunned. Well gee, let's just throw that on me. I mean they wouldn't let me take it back at home, but they will here?

"Sure," I blurted out. How could I pass up an opportunity like that? My parents smiled.

"Good, we already signed you up," dad told me. I sat there. They already signed me up? Well saves me the trouble I guess.

"And you're first class is in an hour," mom added on. Whoa, now that was news. I had to write an essay today.

"I-" I couldn't even finish my sentence before the phone went off. Dad went running off, saying it was probably a call from work since he left a little early. Mom smiled before she went to go see what business call got. I got up and went to my room to get started on my homework.

~*~*~*~

"Three hour class with a ten paragraph essay. Nice," Thomas smirked as I told him about my day yesterday. I stayed up late and I had bags under my eyes. "You definetly look like you could use some sleep." I laughed.

"Yeah, and so we were taking notes and all this crap. It was so boring. Think about it! _Three_ hours!" I complained. He shrugged.

"Wish I could help," he told me. Liar.

"Liar," I replied. He just grinned. We walked into home ec. Zach wasn't in gym today so it should be a peaceful class today. But it also made me wonder where Zach was. I pushed it out of my mind we took our seats.

The class went by like a breeze, and we made cake. It was great. Our table's cake was the only cake that failed. We didn't fail for the day and got our credit, but our cake totally didn't look… edible to say the least. Our table consisted of Thomas, Sara, Orrick, and me. We got a kick out of it in the end.

Before I knew it it was lunch. They changed the menu on me and they were serving the grossest thing in the world. School made cheese pizza. I mean, I have nothing against cheese pizza.

But the ones at school? Don't go near 'em.

"Cammie, you should really eat something," Grant told me. I rolled my eyes. Everyone thought I was going to start and starve myself.

"Guys, look. It's one lunch. It's _school made cheese pizza_," I tried reasoning. They looked at me with accusing eyes. "Come on guys! None of you are eating it either!" I had them there. No one said anything after that. We just had normal lunch at it all went well. The whole day passed by quickly and the normal routine went on. Go home, do homework, eat food, homework, shower, usually more homework, than sleep. I peeked out my curtain and Zach's room was drawn. I sighed and shut the curtain. No use worrying about him.

I woke up the next morning. My room smelled. Rather it didn't smell how it _normally_ smelled. I looked around, looking for the source of this smell. Than I realized that I had a couple roses on my desk near my head. Ahhh, that's why it smelled so strong. Most likely it didn't smell that bad like on the other side of my room. I looked for a note or something explaining why there were roses in my room. I couldn't find a single note so I gave up and got ready for school. Before we left I ran downstairs and got a vase, then went back upstairs to put the roses in it so they wouldn't die right away. They would probably die quickly anyways but that was alright. After that we raced off to school. Since we had a car to ride to school in, we would always sleep in… and sometimes that sleeping in went a little far and we would find ourselves a tad late. But we've never been tardy, which is amazing.

I was in gym and Zach wasn't there… again. I was pretty sure our school had a rule of being tardy or late 10 times and you failed that course. I was pretty confident that Zach had been gone for 11 days now. So it must've been that he was actually sick and he had a doctor's note. Whatever. I went on with school, and had fun. Or as much fun you can have in school. The next day was just the same. Except something went wrong.

Home economics.

So our table was just normally making the pizza we were supposed to be.

There was no way we knew that some of the 'materials' were explosive.

Who gives explosive things out to high school students? I know I wouldn't.

Well our oven exploded and I slowly got up, Thomas following suit. We were both coughing and the sprinklers were going off. In other words it was a real miserable situation.

"Who blew up the oven?!" our teacher screeched. Or as much as a person can screech in a smoky room.

"I think it was ours?" I replied before my brain caught up with my mouth.

"DETENTION!" she shrieked.

So that brings us to the present. I was in the gym with Thomas, Sara, and Orrick cleaning it. Yeah, our punishment was to clean the whole school. Everyone got to leave early while _four students_ had to clean the _whole_ school. Could this day get any worse? We had managed to get everything else cleaned up within 4 hours. So we were still making good time. I mean, if we cleaned the gym within 2 hours we would get out before school did! But we still weren't happy that the 4 of us had to clean the WHOLE entire school.

"Damn, we sure fucked up," Orrick said climbing the bleachers. Work from top to bottom. It was the easiest way to clean we discovered.

"Well it would've been nice to be told that that spice was explosive at certain temperatures," Thomas replied. That was a good point. We could have been notified.

"Normal students don't cook their pizzas at 500 degrees so that it only takes 5 minutes to bake," Sara said chuckling. I had to laugh too. We sure didn't follow directions. We sort of did things on our own. But half the time it worked. We usually had about 30 minutes of study hall.

"NO LAUGHING!" we all whipped around to see some teacher. Never seen her before. "We expect that the banners be cleaned too," she glared from under her glasses. My hand shot up like a little school girl's. "What?" she exhaustedly asked.

"How do we get the banners down from the ceiling?" I asked. Hopefully we wouldn't be able to do it.

"Use those ropes over there," she replied, pointing her finger to the corner. Oh. Well that sucked. Before I could say anything else she was gone. Wow, such a cheery person. So we cleaned the rest of the gym, and all that was left to do was the floor and banners.

That was when I got my marvelous idea.

"Hey guys! I got an idea!" I yelled out.

"It better not be stupid," Orrick called back from sitting on top of the bleachers.

"And it better work fast," Thomas muttered.

"It's a two in one job," I replied.

"Let's hear it, we got nothing to lose," Sara called from across the floor. She had brought in the mops and crap. Ahh soap. Just made everything easier.

"What if we soaped up the floor and washed the banner at the same time. Than it would be like washing the banner and cleaning the floor at once!"

"Where's all the water gona go? And the soap?" Thomas asked. Hmmm. That was a good point. Wasn't sure yet how to get rid of it.

"Well we have to clean the banners somehow, might as well have fun with it," I grinned. I ran over to Sara and grabbed the soap. It was like dishwasher soap, like the liquid kind. Than I went around spraying it all over the floor.

"What are you doing?" Thomas hissed. Yeah, they probably thought it was a crazy idea. But hey, it was a fun idea right?

"Spraying the floors!" I replied in a sing song voice. Suddenly I felt water rush by my feet. I looked back and Sara dumped the whole bucket of water on the floor and running to go get more.

"Are you guys crazy?!" Orrick yelled from on top of the bleachers. I didn't see him moving at all. I shrugged. I knew it would be fun anyways. Might as well have fun doing something boring. I kept soaping the floors and Sara kept bringing water. Soon the whole gym floor was wet (not that it wasn't already from the sprinklers) and little bubbles were starting to form. I grabbed the mop and started swishing it this way and that. Our gym was going to be a car wash in a minute.

Just as I said, the gym was pretty bubbly in that minute. Sara had also grabbed a mop and we were mixing the soap and water. The bubbles were about at our mid shins.

"This probably wasn't the smartest idea in the book," Thomas shouted across the gym. I looked over and laughed. The bubbles were already by his knees, and his eyes were wider than usual. Sara and I looked at each other and shrugged. We didn't care. We were having fun. They didn't have too. Plus we were doing most of the cleaning. Orrick usually supervised after he got everything off the walls and counters. The floor wasn't his problem. Thomas helped a little of everything, and Sara and I got the floors. So we were tired of just mopping or waxing. It was time for some fun.

By now the soap was about waist high, and Thomas looked almost terrified. I laughed at his expression. Orrick looked unamused. I'm sure he wasn't planning on helping cleaning this mess up. Sara and I, well were ready to start washing banners. I ran (or as much as you can without slipping) to the ropes and started lowering the first banner. We had about twenty of them so this may take a while.

Well we got it down and Sara and I plopped down in the middle of the bubbles and started cleaning. Well mostly we scrubbed with a sponge. That went on for a while until we got bored with it. We still had about 7 banners left and we had soooo many bubbles, it was a waste not to use them all. That's when I got another one of my oh-so-brilliant ideas.

I let the banner we were going to work on down, but then I let down another. They all stared at me. Or rather Sara looked like she wanted to know what I was doing so she could have fun, and the boys stared at me hoping I knew what I was doing and not screw up.

I was in a daring mood today. What can I say?

I got over to the two banners and started unhooking them from the rope.

"I don't like this idea already," Orrick called from on top of the bleachers.

"Put a sock in it!" Sara yelled back. "Maybe if you were helping us we would take some of your advice!" I laughed. He just rolled his eyes and stayed where he was. "So what now Cammie?" she asked once the banners were detached from the rope. We had a whole gym, two banners, and a whole floor of soap.

"Banner sledding," I replied. She looked at me confused. I would be too so I just chuckled. "We leave the banners on the floor about mid-way, than we run, and then jump on the banners. We'll see who goes the farthest." Yeah, I thought of those most. When it came to cleaning, I always thought of sliding through something. It's just the way I am.

"That doesn't sound like a good plan," Orrick replied to me. "What if we tore the banners? Then we would be in _deep shit_."

"Look, there's soap and water on the ground. Plus we cleaned everything off the floor remember? We cleaned that so we _could_ wash the floor. I'm just trying to kill two birds with one stone," I smirked back. He just rolled his eyes (again) and laid back.

"Cammie! Let's race!" I looked back to see Sara set everything up, and she was ready to run. I laughed. This would sure be dangerous, but whatever. I walked over and Thomas walked to the other end. He was going to be the judge of this round.

"Ready! Set! GO!" he shouted from across the room. Sara and I sprinted towards the banners, but we kept slipping. It was funny, and we kept trying to run full speed onto the banners. Finally we were close enough and I took a dive onto the banner. She was close beside me. We went flying. I didn't think it would work out too well, but it worked just fine. I jumped off the banner before I went flying into the wall.

"Well that looks like a pretty good wash," Sara smiled. I laughed. Yeah. The banners were all soapy and there was a scar in the soap where we just came sliding through. We turned the banners over and put them mid gym. Thomas took my place and I went down to the other end. The whole banner sliding thing was going smoothly. We could probably use this as a game… such as a fundraiser… the school would never do it though.

So we kept sliding, washing the next to the next. We finally got all of them washed, but we still wanted to slide so we kept two of the banners down. Even after a while Orrick came out to slide with us. It was fun. And just like that the time was 5. we had been playing with these banners for over 4 hours. I told them that and we all laughed. Finally we put the banners back up and cleaned up the gym. Well we somehow managed to. Well just leave it at, it took a _long_ time.

After that whole thing though, and all of that fun, I don't think mind getting in a lot of trouble. Or rather getting forced to clean the whole school.

~*~*~*~

"Cam, look!" My head whipped over to see Thomas side tracked at another sign.

"Thomas, if you keep getting side tracked by all these dang signs we're going to be late to class. _AGAIN_." We were walking to home ec when he got sidetracked by another stupid sign.

"This one's about a dance!" he grinned. Oh man, this is not something I need right now. The last one was about some party.

"Thomas, _come on_," I said trying again. "If we're late for this class, we could get stuck cleaning the _outside_ of school!" That made him move. I laughed as he jogged down the hall. Leaving me behind this time.

"Come on slow poke! I don't want to clean the outside of school, even if you do. I don't even want to try! Even _if_ you had some idea!" he called to me. He made me laugh so easily. I jogged up to him and we walked to class. Well partly. We were a few doors away when we got a glimpse of the clock. We had 52 seconds. We didn't exactly stroll to class anymore. We booked it. We made it in just as the bell went off. Mrs. Gilbertson glared, but didn't say anything. Talk about just making it. We got to our seats and Orrick and Sara snickered. I rolled my eyes. Come on, it wasn't like we were late.

"Way to show up guys," Sara joked.

"Well if Tommy, boy over here would stop looking at signs-"

"Hey, you were equally interested in the first one," Thomas tried to defend. Key word _tried_.

"It was about a party," I told them.

"You lie," Orrick said to Thomas. Sara giggled.

"Cammie never parties. It's almost like a reputation! If she showed up, man… you could go down in HISTORY!" Sara shouted. She than blushed realizing she said that _that_ loudly. Mrs. Gilbertson glared at our table, but that wasn't uncommon. So we made our little dealio of the day which happened to be bread. Well our group being our group finished early. So we had a study hall. Mrs. Gilbertson tasted our bread and sighed. Somehow we were always the best cooks in class. So the bell went off and I ran to computer art. Ah the fun of computer art. I plopped down in the chair next to Jonas.

"Hey Cammie," he said, never taking his eyes from his computer screen.

"Addict," I said right back.

"Hey, just because I'm good with computers-"

"Blah, blah, blah," I cut him off. He shrugged and went back to his work.

"So what are we 'creating'?" I asked. So far in this class all we had done was screw around and learn some art stuff. Well maybe more than that… we had to learn how to use the program first, than he made us go through all these tutorials. But whatever. I understood what was going on. Heck, anyone next to Jonas would be able to figure it out in a second, otherwise he would simplify and you would understand just like that.

"Three places for the eye using the information we know," he replied. Our computer art was more like getting to use and play with photoshop. In other words it was fun.

I watched Jonas a lot, trying to get a good idea. He was just solid, doing his thing. Before I knew it the bell rang.

"Did you get anything done?" Jonas asked me. I laughed.

"Nope," I replied. He sighed.

"Do you need help?" he questioned.

"Yep," I replied laughing. He shook his head but promised to help me after school. I had the greatest friends.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, and nothing really stuck. Finally the day was over and I went to the computer room. I walked in and saw Jonas and Liz laughing at something on the computer.

"Aww, look at the lovebirds," I called. I was able to slip in unnoticed. They both jumped up startled.

"Hi Cammie!" Liz smiled.

"She accomplished _nothing_ in computer art today," Jonas told Liz. Wow. Just tell her everything. I mean, duh. Why would I be here otherwise?

"I could see it," Liz laughed. She was always so happy and cheery. Never seen her mad once. Or cold. Well actually before when I had to go get her to introduce her to Jonas… but other wise nada.

So Jonas had to help me, with inputs from Liz. Finally I was about the same point as Jonas was. Which was pretty good.

"You have a solid base," Jonas told me.

"That's good," I replied. They left and I went home. It was a peaceful walk. The leaves were falling and you could tell that it was fall. I stepped on the leaves and listened to them crunch underneath my feet.

As I got home I stopped in the drive way. A certain someone was sitting on the balcony, letting his legs fall towards the ground. A certain someone I hadn't seen in a _long_ time.

That certain someone being Zach.


	5. Chapie 5

sorry if you got like 3 author alert thingys, just editing a little bit...

You guys are the best. Thanks for favoriting this story and stuff. Made my day….

Manda, quit reviewing. If you do… please pertain to the story….

I don't have anything against Tina… it's just that she has to be this way for this story. Or that's the character I need her to be… whatever

TOTALLY OUT-OF-THE-BLUE-**NOTHING-PERTAINING-TO-THE-STORY** **RANT**: Okay, does anyone else hate sports? Alright, let me rephrase that. Does anyone else hate playing multiple sports, homework, and trying their hardest at updating (sort of lacking in that area)? CUZ I DO! I swear, it was pick on Nikki day a little ago… my lacrosse coaches thought it would be fabulous to pick a freshman to lead sprinting. I swear I almost killed myself pushing myself. Okay, I might be fast, but I can't run as fast as other girls! Like this one soccer player, she's freaking fast! And somehow I managed to stay in front of everyone. Good conditioning for the day… but no, then my dad wants me to go to my advanced hockey thingy. So I leave lacrosse only to be getting in the car and going to hockey. Lacrosse ended at 5 and hockey started at 5:30. Shoot me now!! Finally in the car my dad asks if I'm okay, hearing my hard breathing (sports induced asthma) and my pale face. None the less I still find myself at the rink, getting dressed, a little late for hockey. By a minute. Still the first person out there. God, after hockey I was dead. I could barely walk. So my dad bought me cake. God. I could be a cake-eater. Ha ha ha. But no. I still feel like crap. I couldn't go to sleep cause I thought I was going to throw up all night. Thank God for spring break. I still haven't done any of my homework. Procrastinating much… I don't know how I'll manage. My softball started up Monday, and man. I'm dead. I should probably stop ranting. But I can't help it! Does anyone else deal with this (more of the sports and homework deal, not updating [I'm trying my best!])????

* * *

So of course, me being a curious person, ran inside. And up the stairs. And to my room. And out to the balcony. I stared over at Zach. He just kept looking straight. He looked so peaceful. He was relaxed and he was watching the street, as if it were some kind of movie.

Not wanting to disturb him, I just walked over and quietly hopped over his balcony. He didn't move a muscle. I sat down next to him, letting my legs dangle. This was different. Instead of everything being hectic or emotional, everything was calm with Zach. After a while I decided to break the silence, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"So how you be?" I asked.

"What kind of sentence is that?" he chuckled back. I watched as him body vibrated as he quietly laughed.

"It's a sentence. How've you been?" I reasked. I was going to get an answer out of him one way or another.

"Sick," he replied. He was most definitely not sick. I had no proof, but something was nagging at me, telling me that that was a lie. We sat in silence as we watched the sun set.

"Why have you really been gone?" I asked again after a while. I had no idea why I was putting up with him. I had a mountain of homework.

"Sick," he replied again, a little surprised though. I knew then that he was hiding something. "So are you playing a winter sport?" he asked switching subjects. I sighed. I would get it out of him one way or another, sometime.

"Alpine ski," I replied lying back. I felt his eyes watch me as I laid back. For the first time in the past hours he actually moved; he was facing me instead of toward the street.

"Really," he said smirking. God, if I could wipe that smirk straight off his face. "Did you know that that's my winter sport?" I looked at him, eyes wide. Damn, if I knew he was in the sport my sport-choosing may have been a little different. He laughed at my face. "Priceless," he murmured before lying on his back with me. We stared off into the sky for a while. I tried to figure out the constellation but gave up after a while. It was useless. I had no idea what was what, or what I was even looking for.

After a while of this star gazing stuff I got up and went back in. I didn't hear a word out of Zach's mouth.

~*~*~*~

I was having a normal day today, until Thomas decided to spice things up a little bit.

We were having lunch when he made his move.

"I dare you to go to the dance," he, well, dared me.

"Where did that come from?" I laughed.

"It doesn't matter who you ask, you just have to go. You don't even have to go with anyone," he went on. Where was he going with this?

"What's in it for me?" I questioned. No use doing it if I don't get anything out of it.

"Hmmm," he pretended to ponder. "How about fifty dollars with a surprise thrown in?" he put out. Well I could use that twenty dollars….

"I don't like surprises. What's the surprise?" I asked.

"That would be ruining the surprise," he stubbornly shot back.

"Okay." My head whipped over and there Mace sat, looking almost excited. Let's say that she shouldn't wear that look. More for safety purposes.

"Great," Thomas said smiling. He left as soon as he shared a look with Macey. I had a feeling they had something planned.

"Don't I get a say in this?" I asked Mace.

"Nope," Bex answered for her. Damn, they all had something going on that I didn't know about! Before I snapped, I left. I was going to figure out the big secret some way.

~*~*~*~

It was already November twenty-ninth, and the month was almost done. It was crazy how quickly the month went by.

But this was the day I was dreading.

Today was the day of the dance. I honestly didn't want to go, but it's not like I have that much of a choice. Mace and Bex were going crazy with dresses and make up and hair and everything. In other words it was hectic. The bright side was that I got fifty bucks.

"Cammie, GET over here," Bex demanded, actually scaring the heck out of me. She had on the 'don't-mess-slash-refuse-me' look. I didn't take a lesurly walk over to her.

"So what do you think we should start with?" Bex asked Macey. Knowing Mace, she would say try on the dresses.

"Let's start with the dresses." Ha. I was right. Bex looked confused. Then a little shocked.

"Shouldn't she already have a dress?" Bex asked a little worried.

"Of course you idiot. You think I would let her _not_ have a dress? No, she has _multiple_ dresses. We just have to pick which one looks best on her." I groaned. I mean who wouldn't? To rephrase that, if you were Macey's toy doll, would _you_ like this? No. "Cammie, it's only six dresses. ONLY SIX," Mace tried to reason. That was a good point. Last time I had to really dress up, I had to try on about fifteen. That's what you get when you have Macey as a sister.

"Well we better get started," Bex said with a grin, and an evil glint in her eye.

"Shit."

~*~*~*~

So I won't bore you with the painful details. Summary of what happened is I tried on many different dresses, and finally the dress was chosen for me. It was a black silk dress, and it was a more low-rise dress cut than I liked. The straps were wide and it went high in the back. The dress went to just above my knees and flowed out nicely.

"See, now it isn't all _that_ bad," Mace laughed. She saw how fidgety I was in this dress. "What's the difference between this dress and the one you wore earlier this year?" Hmmm. She did have a point. Oh, besides the fact that I was going with my crush, and I had the back up of Mace. She wasn't going. She was staying 'reserved'. Of course Bex was going with Grant. But they would probably leave in the middle, and go to the car to make out or something.

"Come here, I need to do your make up," Mace said as she took my face between her hands. "Bex, straighten," she barked, Bex just glared.

"Cammie, just remember she is the reason your hair is so damaged-"

"NOT THIS AGAIN!" Mace yelled at Bex. "Just do what you're told!" Bex glared again, but complied. Soon my hair was fully straightened and I had make up on. The usual I'm-about-to-go-to-a-dance deal. Thomas was going to go with me, as unofficial dates, but that was because we both thought it would be awkward to go in alone. I walked down and he was waiting by the doorway.

"You look the same as you did at that first dance I saw you at," he smiled. I blushed. How could he still remember that? That was in eighth grade! "Let's go," he said putting out his arm. I shyly slipped my arm through his and we went out the door.

"Do you mind walking?" he asked. I shook my head. I did it every day.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! If she breaks those heels!!!" we spun around to Macey freaking out.

"I guess we will take the car than," Thomas chuckled. I laughed. We walked to the car and opened the door for me. What a gentleman.

"I'm guessing you aren't looking forward to this?" he asked as he looked in the rear view mirror. He smoothly pulled out of the driveway.

"Nope. Since when did you drive?" I asked him.

"Since I turned fifteen. And I got my license when I turned sixteen. Like the normal teenager, unlike you _who just_ started," he stated, teasing me more towards the end.I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry I moved. And I'm sorry I didn't get my license when the normal teenager does," I replied sarcastically. He just smiled. It didn't take very long to reach the school. Concerning we _could_ walk to the school.

I stepped out before Thomas could get the door for me, and we walked to the entrance. We showed them our tickets and walked in.

"Have fun!" Thomas called. I shrunk back a little. He wasn't going to stay with me. "Remember, you have to last until ten thirty!" and with that he was gone. I awkwardly made my way to the punch and drank some, staying in the shadows. I didn't really feel like dancing come to think of it. I backed up against the wall, where the light didn't shine very well. I watched the dance as most couples or dates ran onto the dance floor. I stood flat against the wall, trying to stay in the shadows so that no one would find me. It was seven forty five, and I still had a lot of time to kill. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to stay hidden for that long. Surely if I did Thomas would come get me.

"OH MY GOD!! IT'S ZACHARY GOODE!" suddenly I heard squeals and screams. I looked over to the entrance and sure enough, there Zach stood, smirking. He was wearing all black, except for his pure white tie. It looked okay.

Then I saw him starting to scan the area. Shit. I quickly walked away from the wall and walked through the dance floor. There was no way I would want to be caught alone with Zach around. Especially because he came in solo. Then I did what I did best. I hid.

~*~*~*~

ZACH POV (ha ha! Didn't see that one coming did ya?)

Damn.

I watched as Thomas led Cammie into his car. It wasn't a bad ride, but since it was Cammie she wouldn't care even if she noticed the car wasn't really his. Hey, I knew which kids had cars, and I even knew what they rode. Thomas definitely didn't have a car. At least not down here in Roseville.

I shook my head. I had to keep on track. I watched as the car pulled out of drive and speed down the street towards the school. Shit! The dance was today! I hadn't bought tickets… I could probably get some though. I quickly changed into some black pants and a black shirt. Cam's dress was black, it would work right? I put on a white tie. Black and white was original but hey, team colors. Yeah, I'll just make up some excuse.

Thomas wasn't matching Cam, that meant that they weren't officially going together. I smirked as I found my black dress shoes. Well I guess she can just be my date tonight.

I ran down the stairs and was about to head down the stairs to the garage when dad stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going kiddo?" he asked me.

"To the dance," I replied hastily. I didn't want to keep her waiting.

"You really think they'll let you in? You haven't gone to school in two weeks," dad pressured.

"Dad it'll be fine. I'll find a way," I shouted already running down the stairs. Great, mom was down here.

"Going to go swipe some poor girl off her feet?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but this time I'm actually trying to keep her!" I shouted from the garage. I quickly opened the garage door and hopped in the car. I put the keys in the ignition and gassed it out of there. Hey, I loved my Lamborghini. Plus it could take the speeds I liked to race at. I was at the school in a milisecond, practically running out of the car I just arrived in.

I heard people shout my name, and some people just stared in awe. I didn't like driving it to school just for this reason. It just made me look like a rich, stuck up, cocky jock.

Which I was. Not the stuck up part. I ran to the door. Great, it was Adam on duty tonight.

"Hey man, I gotta get in there," I told him. He crossed his arms.

"Sorry buddy, not tonight."

"My girlfriend's in there, I did something wrong and I have to make it up to her," I told him convincingly.

"Goode, you've told me that one before." Damn.

"Adam, come on man, last one. I've been sick for two weeks."

"Then shouldn't you be in bed resting?" I was getting no where with this.

"I'll tell the principle about your deal with the lunch lady," I threatened. Yeah, the old excuse. But for some reason, it happens in every school.

"Shit, how'd you know about that?" Adam turned pale.

"I'm a Goode. Now let me in," I smirked. He let me in with no question.

I ran down the hallway into the dance.

"OH MY GOD!! IT'S ZACHARY GOODE!" I smirked, putting on my normal show. I talked to the few people who were right next to me, but in the next second I scanned the room. She was hiding somewhere. I just had to find her.

"Hey Zachy," I looked over to Tina trying to look flirtatious.

"Uh, hey Tina," I replied, looking back to find Cam. She was here somewhere. And I knew she was hiding from me. Geez, what did that girl have against me?

"Zach, do you like my dress?" she asked tugging on my arm. I ignored her, she wasn't anywhere near the walls. Hm, she must've known I was coming. Finally the tugging was so urgent I felt like was being ripped off.

"WHAT?" I snapped. I didn't really get much sleep this week… I looked over and froze. Tina was wearing the most skimpiest outfit I had ever seen. Short dress, _very_ low cut.

"Do you like it?" she whispered. I'm thinking it was an attempt to be seductive.

"Sorry, Tina. Maybe you should cover yourself up a tad more." With that I left her. Sure I felt sort of bad, but um, I don't think any guy wants a girl like that. Or well… man, I got to stop with all these trailing offs! I'm supposed to hold all the answers.

_So why don't you know why Cammie doesn't like you?_

I ignored my thoughts and concentrated on finding Cammie. She wasn't near the walls, and she wasn't in the seating where I was walking through. Which meant that she was snaking her way around the dance floor. I grinned as I walked toward the dance floor. I was going to find her.

"Zach!"

"Hey man!" I smiled and briefly talked with some people. But my main goal was to find her. I never stopped to talk, but I did scan around the room, just to make sure that she didn't crawl out of this mess.

But then I heard a thump. Oh wait, something, rather _someone_ ran into me. Just my luck. I smirked as I grabbed Cammie before she fell straight on her butt. How this happened I didn't know. It was like those cheesy romance movies, but it worked for me.

"Gallagher Girl," I smirked. She scowled at me.

"What are you doing here Zach?" she asked me as I pulled her in closer. Soon enough we were dancing. I saw the faint pink go to her cheeks and I smirked even more seeing the effect.

"Well obviously to dance," I replied. I knew that wasn't the answer she was looking for, but I wasn't going to give it to her anyways.

"Seriously, Zach," she said a little annoyed. Well that wouldn't do. So I dipped her. I saw her eyes widen a little bit in surprise, and her face went pink. I smirked. What else could I do? I loved having this affect on her. I pulled her back up and her face was flushed.

"So Gallagher Girl, you miss me?" I teased. She looked up and gave me a hard glare. "Ouch. I'll ignore that and say you did," I smirked. She rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't matter what I do. You dismiss it," she muttered. Getting a little frustrated here I see.

"Well did you?" I asked, pretending I didn't hear that.

"Nope," she replied looking right into her eyes. Psh. The answer was in her eyes. It was a yes. Her eyes betrayed what she was saying. But that just made me smirk.

I leaned down to her ear. I could hear her breathing hitch. "You can say that, but I know you did," I whispered into her ear. I stood up straight again and we danced. More in a peaceful silence though. I knew she was thinking about me. I just had that affect on every girl. "What are you thinking about?" I asked her._ Please say me, please say me_.

"Excuse me, may I borrow this lovely girl?"

My head snapped up and Cammie's eyes went wide. It showed happiness. I let go as she spun around and leapt into the arms of none other than… Kyle. I sighed. What did that kid have that I didn't! I sighed as I turned away, making my way through the crowd and keeping my head down so no one would hopefully notice me.

As soon as I got out of there I loosened my tie and unbuttoned the first few buttons. Why should I dress like that if the girl I'm trying to impress is already taken? I walked over to one of the tables and took a seat.

I was sick and I was getting tired. The dance was almost over and the girl I wanted to dance was taken.

Damn, what a depressing day.

* * *

Yeah, I think everyone knows now _why_ I don't write in Zach's POV…

AHA! It's my birthday today! :) review and make my day?


	6. Chapie 6

Hey guys I'm back! Aren't you glad to see I'm not dead?

Okay I typed this up in ten minutes at 1 in the morning… bear with me here people. I'm sorry it's short.

I smiled as I danced with Kyle. I didn't know, or think that he was going to be here. I was as shocked as Zach was. I giggled remembering Zach's face. For once, he actually didn't know what was coming.

"How was school without me?" Kyle asked, with the grin that only he could pull off.

"Pretty boring, although we did do some mischievous things," I said seriously, but the grin was playing at my lips.

"Oh? And what little pranks did you do?" he asked me.

"Ohh, you know, blowing up pizzas-"

"YOU BLEW UP A PIZZA?" he almost yelled. It was loud enough for the people around us to look at us.

"Possibly?" I said sheepishly. "But it was fun at the same time," I defended. It wasn't fully our fault either. Would've been nice to know the spice was explosive. He sighed but gave me a smile, the one I hadn't seen in so long.

"Trouble maker," he laughed. I couldn't help but laugh too. We danced for a few more songs and then went to go sit out. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. Already.

"Well you made it," Thomas sighed. I was guessing he was really regretting about giving me fifty dollars with a 'surprise' thrown in. "Can he be your surprise?" he asked me.

"Nope," I replied without missing a beat. I saw him roll his eyes.

"That's too bad. It's bad already that I have to give you fifty bucks," he responded.

"Sucks for you don't it?"

"Come on Cam."

"Nah, I think you owe me fifty and a surprise."

"Bam! There's your surprise, sitting right next to you."

"Dooooesn't count."

"CAMMIE!"

"What's this now?" Kyle asked interrupting our little battle.

"We had a little bet," Thomas snapped, still glaring at me.

"That I won," I added on in a sing song voice.

"Let's end this now then. Cammie gets her fifty and surprise. Thomas, your fault for betting her. Remember, Cammie _never_ loses."

"NOOOOO, you don't suppose, buddy," Thomas glared. I chuckled.

"You dug yourself the hole," I said. With that I left them sitting and walked away.

It's the whole thing about dramatic effect.

I walked though the dance floor, aimlessly mingling through people. Suddenly someone grabbed my arm. I looked over to see Zach.

"Why aren't you dancing with anyone?" he asked.

"Because I just walked away from them," I said grinning, remembering my whole 'I'm-going-to-walk-away-and-make-that-into-a-dramatic-effect' deal. But it looked like Zach took it a whole different way.

He pulled me in and twirled me a couple times.

But then he dipped me. Like before.

Except this time he added a kiss.

For all you Zammie lovers. But this doesn't mean Zach's won her over. :D


	7. Chapie 7

He then pulled me up in a swift efficient motion. He smirked, knowing that I was blushing out of control. As soon as I looked up I saw that he had a distant look on his face. I quickly glanced around as no one saw what happened - they were too busy dancing themselves. When I looked back up. Zach looked strained, like he was fighting an inner battle. I looked over my should to see if he was staring at someone, but when I looked back Zach was gone.

He disappeared out of thin air.

"ZACH KISSED YOU?" I shrunk a little bit as I told Mace what happened. She always knew what boys were doing or what they were thinking. She was my boy teacher I guess.

"Yeah," I quietly replied. She started pacing around.

"What happened after that?" she quickly got out. She stopped, leaned on my desk, then fixed her gaze on me.

"Uh, he pulled me up. Then he got a distant look, and then turned into a strained look. I looked back to see if he was looking at someone and turned back around and he was gone."

"You didn't feel him remove his arms?"

I blushed before replying, "No." She sighed as she paced around again.

"He likes you."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Mace. He told me that before."

"But he left."

"Should we call _you_ Captain Obvious?"

"He looked… distracted."

"To say the least."

"Cammie, SHUT UP."

I sat and stared at Macey as she pondered what happened. I guess it wasn't like normal boy cases. She sighed then walked out of the room. I sat there, stupidly, like a duck sitting on a pond. After about ten minutes she came back.

"Go to sleep while I figure this out."

And that's exactly what I did.

I got to school and everything was normal. Or as normal as things could be after the dance. The bell rang and I was off to first period. Gym. Fun business. Gym was equivalent to Zach. Again, fun business. I got in the gym and made a beeline for the locker rooms. So far only Mace knew about the kiss, and I didn't want anyone else to know.

I got out and made sure to avoid Zach.

That was the game plan I played for the next two weeks.

It was Friday morning. Somehow I was able to avoid Zach for the past few weeks. AMAZINGLY.

I walked in the gym, only to be surprised. Like REALLY surprised. Kyle was sitting on the bleachers. First of all that was weird. He was usually pretty good about going to class. But surely he wasn't… IN this class. The thing that really surprised me? The person who was standing next to him.

Margaret Kaitlin Carter.

I ran, no _sprinted_ over to them. I didn't even know I could go that fast, but I was flying at an impossible speed. I slammed into MK, sort of using her as my break. She stumbled a little bit but surprisingly stayed steady.

"Whoa, hello to you too, Cammie," MK spoke out. I laughed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"The team was stopping by," she simply stated, but from my stupid/confused face she continued on. "We had to go down to Florida for some, err business, and now we're returning to Lake Placid." I still stared at her dumbly. I was definitely missing something. "Winter Olympics?" THAT'S RIGHT! MK was on the U21 girls Olympic team!

"Oh," was my stunning reply. She just laughed at my great reply.

"So are you doing a winter sport?" MK asked.

"Yeah! I'm doing alpine ski!" She gave me a weird look before shaking it off.

"Sorry. They started a stupid snowball fight before we left," she stated before looking far off. She looked back and saw that I was giving her the 'elaborate' look. "Well snow fell on some Canadian's drink and knocked it out of his hand. Then they blamed it on the near by Swedish who were only having a good time. Then we evolved into a huge snowball fight. Don't get me wrong, it was fun… but totally unnecessary." She sighed and then looked at me.

"I hope you're having a good time," she laughed. I smiled. I was having fun.

"I am. I've gotten pretty good," I semi-bragged. I didn't like to brag but considering it was my first year I had it down pretty good. I had gotten third place already.

"You're just athletic," MK rolled her eyes.

"So you play hockey right," Kyle spoke up. Whoa, I totally forgot he was even here!

"Yep. Pretty damn proud of it too," she said with a huge grin. It made me want to laugh. Her being around made me so carefree. It was nice to kick back and relax for a while. Just for the day. The classes flew by with MK 'shadowing' me. She followed me around to all of my classes talking about what was new with her or about things she wanted to talk about or even just rant.

I told her about my race tonight. It was in Maryland and the race was on Saturday (since everyone was going in on Friday). I told her about everything basically. I might have even let a little talk about Zach slip out.

"HE KISSED YOU?"

"MK, SHUT UP," I hissed as some people looked over. I blended in the crowd so they wouldn't see who she was talking too. After a while I let her catch up with me.

"I should punch him. I'm going to. Next time I see that kid-"

"MK. Really."

Mk sighed and shot me a worried glance. "Do you like Kyle?" I froze. Why would she ask that.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nevermind. So where is your race today?" We went on to talk about sports and everything. Once we got to my locker I paused and thought what class I had next. Usually it was so automatic. That was when I realized that it was time to go home. "What are you doing?" she asked, trying not to laugh. I spun around and gave her the death glare. That's what put her over the edge. She just cracked up.

"At least I got through the day!" She just laughed even more. We went to the gym and found Kyle shooting baskets, as usual.

"Hey Kyle!"

Before I knew it Kyle had pulled me into playing lightning with him. We were at it for about fifteen minutes before MK got tired of it.

"Can you guys be done?"

"MC, what's up with you? You usually don't mind," Kyle flashed her a smile before he shot.

"I finish what I start," I replied back.

"Well I taught you how to play hockey and you still haven't learned!" Kyle understood it and he cracked up for about five minutes straight with MK while I got to take the insult.

"I don't play hockey," I simply replied.

"Don't you have to get ready for your race?" MK suddenly asked. Then I remembered that the bus left in (I had to glace at the clock), fifteen minutes.

"SHIT!" I yelled and ran out. I heard their laughter and byes. I ran home. It took me about five minutes. Then I had to get ready and packed and ready to go. Another five minutes. I got Grant to give me a ride and I made it just in time.

"Morgan! Your stuff was here but you weren't!" Mr. Thompson told me.

"Yeah, sorry. Sorry. Lost track of time," I smoothly replied. I walked onto the stage coach and looked around and saw the only seat that was open was next to Zach. Who was staring out the window. I made my way over and sat next to him. I saw him glance over, not moving his head once, before returning to looking out the window. The past few weeks. We haven't really talked. It was almost as if he was avoiding me too. When we had to talk it was all cryptic. Like he was messing with me. He almost never gave me a straight answer, and if he did it was a yes or no question. Whenever I would get sick of his stupid messages and ask him why he wouldn't tell me straight, he simply replied 'You're a Gallagher girl. You're smart.' Finally I got sick of the silence.

"Why are you so cryptic?"

"I'm like a magician, Gallager Girl. I know all, see all, and DON'T share secrets."

"But you're sneaky." He didn't reply so I took it as a sign to go on. "You're more like a spy."

Finally he looked over at me, with a smirk on his face. I tried really hard not to blush, but I'm pretty sure I failed at that. Miserably. Then he went back to staring out the window. Just like that. He didn't even say anything after he smirked. It wasn't him, he wasn't acting normal.

"Zach, what's wrong?"

He didn't reply. Instead I felt one of his hands mess up my hair. "Zach," I pressed in a more demanding voice.

"Nothing you have to worry about," he quietly replied. That was ride. Yeah, those few lines up there? That's ALL we said. He wouldn't speak or even look at me. After about two hours I started to get tired. I gave in. I needed all the energy for tonight. Then I let the sleep over take me.

I woke up and it was dark. I was pretty sure that it was 'sleeping' time. The shades were drawn and the lights were turned off. A couple of lights were on, but the three or four were scattered throughout the whole bus. A chill went down my spine and I tugged at the blanket and pulled it to me closer.

Hold up, blanket?

I drowsily looked up to find a blanket around me, along with the person across the aisle sleeping against the aisle. That's when I realized I wasn't facing the seat. I sat up a little straighter and something moved by my leg. I resisted the urge to scream and tried to think straight. Suddenly I heard I small groan near my ear and I instantly knew that I was sleeping with Zach.

Again.

I put my head back and my head rolled into his neck. His body radiation was super warm and it made me want to move closer on the semi-warm bus. I slowly relaxed into his body and I felt a constricting on my stomach. Great, that probably meant that his arms were wrapped around me. I tried to pull my arms up but I felt an arm in the way. Definitely cleared that up.

My eye lids started to get heavy and I was getting tired again. I relaxed into Zach and fell asleep once again.

**Zach P.O.V.**

I was staring out the window. Where was she? She's never late. She was probably with MC and Kyle. My stomach coiled as I thought his name. God, is this what jealously feels like? Because I want out. Now.

"Morgan! Your stuff was here but you weren't!" I heard Mr. Thompson say in a . . . Strong voice.

"Yeah, sorry. Sorry. Lost track of time," I heard her make up some flimsy excuse. I knew that was a lie. She must have been hanging out with them. I stared out the window, determined not to talk to her.

I heard her light footsteps reach the aisle of the bus. The bus roared to life as she stood at the front. After a while I heard her footsteps come closer and closer. Then I felt the seat next to me sink. Damn. She sat next to me. I stared out the window, even more determined not to talk to her. But then she decided to speak.

"Why are you so cryptic?" I sat, pondering whether to answer her or not. Then I thought it would be mean not to talk to her for the whole ride. Might as well get it out of the way now.

"I'm like a magician, Gallager Girl. I know all, see all, and DON'T share secrets."

"But you're sneaky," she replied. She sat a moment, probably waiting for me to interject something. I didn't though. I was sneaky. I was selfish. I wanted her to like me. "You're more like a spy."

I looked at her. She thought I was a _spy_? I smirked. I thought of laughing but thought better of it. Just as quickly as I flashed my signature smirk I looked away. I knew she was blushing, but I didn't tell her that.

"Zach, what's wrong?" she asked after a while. I didn't reply. Why was she pressing me so much? I wasn't liking it. But I guess it wasn't about me liking it. I rubbed her head, hoping she would get a clue. Instead she said, "Zach," more forcefully.

I gave a quiet sigh before replying, "Nothing you have to worry about." After that I didn't say a single word. I just stared out the window. It was horrible. Two hours of just letting my mind wander about things I didn't want to think about. Why two hours? After two hours, I felt motion to my left. I quickly glanced over and I saw Cammie starting to fade. Her eyelids were half draped, and she was starting to slump. Then her eyelids completely shut and she breathed peacefully. Her body rose up and down in a fluid motion, confirming she was sleeping.

"Hey, Carly," I softly called. The girl across the aisle blushed and looked up. She was your normal girl, who no one would probably see unless they were her friend. She was like Cammie, except Cammie was WAY prettier. **WAY**. _WAY_. WAY. Prettier. Did I emphasis _**WAY**_?

"Yeah, Zach," she blurted out in a soft voice. People around us were starting to sleep also and I knew that soon everyone was going to be sleeping.

"Can you do me a favor and pull out my pillow and blanket from the-" she was already up and giving me my pillow and blanket. "Eeer, thanks I guess," I quickly thanked her and she went back to her seat and looked the other way. Awwwwkkkkwwwarrrd.

I put the pillow behind me and leaned back onto the window. I was a little hot still (I was wearing an Under Armor turtleneck, two sweatshirts, and the coat I just shredded off) and I was about to put the blanket down when I saw Cam visibly shiver. By then the lights were all off and the shades were all drawn. I sighed as I draped the blanket over Cammie. As I did so I saw her slide. 'Please not towards me, please not towards me.'

God just didn't want to listen to me today.

Or maybe it was Aphrodite that was messing things up.

That didn't matter though. My current problem was Cammie sound asleep on my chest. I let out frustrated sigh as I let her get comfortable. Her back was faced toward me and her head was on my chest. She clutched the blanket tighter to her as she pushed closer to my body. I shut my eyes, praying for sleep. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad about it. This time God knows who listened to me.

I was asleep in no time.

I woke up from a little movement. I looked down and saw Cammie fluttering open her eyes. Damn. I had no part in this what-so-ever. Then I realized that my arms had wound themselves around Cammie's torso. Well so much for acting innocent. She pulled the blanket closer to her, or shrugging it, or however you say it. Basically she covered her neck.

She then took in her surroundings and then straightened a little bit. She jarred my leg (that had somehow found itself under her legs) so I moved it to rid the pain. She immediately froze. Slowly she calmed down and she started to get comfortable, by moving around on me. She jammed her hand down on my gut as she was about to reposition herself. What could I do? It was painful. I let out a small and quick groan unable to control it. She tensed for a millisecond before relaxing again.

She put her head in the crook of my neck and cuddled - yes _cuddled_ - on top of me. I knew that it had something to do with the cold bus though. By the looks of it she was only wearing a sweatshirt and her coat. Besides her shirt I mean.

I'll shut up.

She slowly relaxed into my body and I held her closer to me. She put a little pressure on my arms, as if she were trying to raise hers, but I kept my arms right where they were. I heard her yawn and then I felt her completely relax. Then I heard her steady breathing. She was asleep, once again.

I was tired too, and was about to fall asleep when I felt Cammie shift on top of me _again_. This time she made it quick and she turned her whole body around. She rested her head on the other side of my neck now and her steady breathing came back. Finally I thought I wouldn't be disrupted if I tried to sleep. My eye lids were closed but I felt her arm move. 'PLEASE not again'.

Instead I felt her small hand clutch my sweatshirt.

She… me… My arms pulled her much closer to my body and I buried my face in her hair.

God, why did I have to love her so much?

I love her.

I love Cammie Morgan.

Ha ha h. Like how I incorporated the coca cola snowball fight commercial? I like that commercial. :)

Happy? No? Want something more? REVIEW.


	8. Chapie 8

Awkwardness ahead… you were warned… the writing is somewhat awkward too… but I told you.

**Ugh, fanfiction doesn't like my page breaks. Page Break**

I stirred but stayed curling up next to the thing next to me. It was comfortable and warm, like a heated comforter would be like. For a split second I thought my parents actually bought me a heated comforter. _'Nahhhh'_. I shoved aside my thoughts and pushed myself more into the warm-comfortable-hopefully-heated-comforter. I sighed in content as I curled up tighter next to it, getting warmer and warmer. Definitely should have put more layers on before I left, but my comforter was doing fine. Then it struck me.

Comforter?

I opened my eyes, only to see black and a silver under armor symbol sticking out at me. _'Whhhaaaaaattt?'_ I pulled back a little and my comforter stirred. I was awake in an instant. I sat up and observed around me. All lights were out and I could hear some snoring. It was still sleeping time, _still_.

"Can you just sleep? Please? You can slap me later," I heard a quiet voice whisper. My head whipped over and I saw Zach with half-lidded eyes.

Darn.

I blushed and looked away. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were fluttering, trying to stay awake. He had taken off his coat and now in his under armor with a sweatshirt. He was lying up against the window with a blanket pooled around his back. Then I realized that _that_ blanket also went around me. I also realized that his arms were around me, his hands tracing incoherent things on my back. I realized that I was in his lap and that my comforter was _him_.

"Gallagher Girl, I'm tired," he voiced softly. I looked back at me and he his eyes were pleading.

"Then go to sleep," I simply replied.

"I was comfortable."

"Zach-" I didn't bother finishing because, as much as I hate to admit, I was tired too. So when he pulled on my back a little more forcefully, I complied. He pulled me to his chest and I put my head in the crook of his neck. I heard him sigh contently and he pulled me closer to his body. After a few minutes I felt his head loll on top of mine. He was asleep for sure. Slowly I let my eyes close and fall into sleep

**Ugh, fanfiction doesn't like my page breaks. Page Break**

I woke up and I was leaning against the window.

I was freezing.

I shuddered and pulled the blanket closer to me. I was so cold I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. I sat up straighter and looked around. The lights were back on and most people were talking.

Zach wasn't beside me.

I mentally shrugged and rewrapped the blanket around me. I leaned against the window again, but this time I had a blanket so it wasn't as cold. Slowly I got warmer and warmer. Zach never came back. The whole trip I sat dazed against the window, half sleeping, half awake. Most people were doing homework or something, trying to get things done so they wouldn't have to worry about it over the weekend.

Finally the bus lurched to a stop, and there was a gas station.

"You can go buy snacks. We will have a fifteen minute break before we continue. We encourage you to get up and walk around, stretch even," Mr. Thompson spoke. I sighed as I slowly detached myself from the blanket. Then I thought better and rewound it around my body. I was the first one to get up and move. Slowly people started to move behind me.

I got off the bus and went into the gas station. I looked for something I might want to eat.

"Comfortable?" I looked over to see Sophie Wheeler.

"You did that basketball thi-"

"Yeah yeah yeah."

"I thought you played hockey?"

"We have out of city competitions too. Except we're going a little further than you," she replied.

"Oh," was my awesome reply.

"You look pretty comfortable."

"Yeh."

"Is that Zach's blanket?" I stopped for a second to think. Was it? All I knew was that it was wrapped around me. She laughed at me before smiling. "What are you going to get?" she asked changing the subject.

"Not sure. I kind of want to get some candy, but that's unhealth-"

"Just get it." I looked at her, confusion on my face.

"We're athletes. We'll burn it off." This time I laughed. Sophie and I had some small talk but after ten minutes we both realized we had to go. I grabbed some skittles and puffercorn and paid. Hey, that stuff never gets old.

"MORGAN'S THE LAST ONE," Mr. Thompson said louder than necessary, but the bus driver started immediately. I slowly walked back to my seat. Everyone laughing at me for being so tired. They kept teasing me, saying I was sleep-walking. It was all good though, I could take the teasing and it was more of a joke than to get me wound up. Finally I plopped in my seat and started eating. That caused everyone around me to laugh.

Why I will never know.

Finally they put movies on and they were constantly playing for the rest of the five hours. I watched them all, eating my puffercorn and skittles.

Never once did Zach come back.

But it made me wonder. Was Zach even there in the first place? It was a dream. I was sitting by myself. I _was_ with a mystery blanket though. I ate my food slowly, thinking about it. Zach never once came back. I only saw him in the dark. I _swore_ I saw him when I first came in and sat by him. I guess I could ask Carly… but that could be awkward. What if I hadn't? Then she could go around switching my words around to saying I **wanted** to sleep with him.

Which I definitely don't.

**Ugh, fanfiction doesn't like my page breaks. Page Break**

We got to the hotel and I was a little surprised. It was a ski resort. Cabins and all. Wasn't skiing enough? Did we really have to go to cabins? But then we walked into the main resort and saw that the thing itself was a hotel. The cabins out there were either bought or reserved. We all got our rooms and set up. I got to share a room with Courtney Bauer luckily. She wasn't the most girly person on the planet so we both just claimed our beds and went out.

I was about to open the door when we heard a knock. I opened the door, Courtney right behind me and three girls stood outside. I wasn't positive, but I was pretty sure their names were Anna, Mick, and Eva.

"Hey!" Courtney said entusiastically. I'm guessing they were her friends based on Courtney's reaction. They stared blankly at me for a moment before they said hi. It was as if they were treating me like a model or upper classman. Basically they were treating me as if I were a 'higher rank'. We were in the same grade.

"Hey, I'm Cammie," I said giving them a smile.

"Eva."

"Mick."

"Anna," Anna squeaked. I giggled a little bit.

"We were just going down to the cafeteria. Do you guys want to come with?" I asked including them. Plus I wanted them to think I was the same as them.

"You're Cammie Morgan," Anna said in a rather, high voice.

"Guys, she's cool. Lets' get some food," Courtney rolled her eyes. She was smiling though. We all headed down to the cafeteria. I realized that these four girls were hidden. I didn't know that they did alpine ski. I felt bad for not knowing, they were on my time. We talked and it was all fun. Around ten we found ourselves on those comfy couches in a circle, sipping hot chocolate while laughing about jokes and embarrassing moments.

"Yeah, and so after Mick spilled yellow paint all over the QB's white pants, RIGHT near the CROTCH, he yelled and Mick went scampering off. She was terrified! She wouldn't come out of the bathroom until two hours after the game finished," Eva finished up laughing. Mick was bright red but she was still laughing as hard as the rest of us.

"Gosh, you _would_ do something like that. How you got yellow paint on a QB's pants during his game, I will never understand," Anna giggled. Mick stayed bright red but nodded smiling.

"Girls, get back to your room. You have to be down here by six a.m. tomorrow," Coach (now that we're at our destination) Thompson scolded us. We all reluctantly got up and made our way to our rooms.

Doesn't mean we did it quietly and didn't get yelled at.

After Courtney and I stumbled into our room we got all the laughing out and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a big competition and we better be rested.

**Ugh, fanfiction doesn't like my page breaks. Page Break**

I got up and Courtney was already up and moving. She already had her suit on and she was layering up for outside.

"'Mornin' Courtney," I mumbled out. She looked startled for a second but then laughed at me.

"You look dead," she laughed.

"Just because I just woke up-" she cracked up. It was amazing how close we had gotten in so short of a time period. I rolled over, attempting to get out of bed but instead rolled completely off the bed.

I fell on the floor hard and groaned. "Darn itttt!" I could only hear Courtney's laugh fill the air. She had such a cute laugh. It was high pitched and it just replayed over and over and over again. After I untangled myself from the sheets and got dressed, we walked down to the cafeteria where everyone was waiting for us.

"Morgan, you're late _again_! I roomed you with Courtney, hoping you would be on time-" Courtney just bursted out laughing and I stood trying my hardest not to laugh. "What's so funny?" Coach Thompson asked, obviously confused.

"OH MY GOD," Courtney wheezed out. "This morning, this morning-" she couldn't go on because she was laughing so hard. Man, I must have been a sight this morning…

A bit annoyed Coach Thompson dismissed it. "Let's just get out there."

**Ugh, fanfiction doesn't like my page breaks. Page Break**

I stood at the sidelines watching my team whiz down the hill. Right now Mick Morrison was going down and she was so graceful it was crazy. She made it look _so_ simple. She finished in a record of time.

I knew that the four girls went straight in a row, so I didn't know who was next. But then I saw Courtney's silhouette and knew that she was next. In a matter of seconds Courtney was flying by. I stared, wide eyed. She wasn't as graceful as Mick, but she was _flying_. Bump after bump she was airborne. It was as if she liked it that way. She finished faster than Mick by 2 seconds, but that was a lot. Suddenly I heard snow being crunched and I looked over to see Mick planting her skis next to me.

"She's fast but reckless," Mick told me as we watched Courtney clear way for the next one - Eva. Suddenly I saw a blur of black go by. "Eva's pretty good, but she has no drive. She only does it because of friends. She doesn't go as fast as she can. Coach just can't get it out of her." After a few minutes of silence, Courtney came to join us. We talked and laughed when Anna started. I watched in shock as she went down quicker and more efficiently than the rest.

"How _Anna_ is good at this, I will NEVER know," Courtney chuckled. Anna finished and then fell straight on her butt. We all laughed at that. She was faster than Mick by 6 seconds. And that was REALLY good.

"When are you up?" Eva asked me.

"I'm up with the evening group," I replied. Some how I got stuck with racing when it was turning dark. It was more dangerous, and you needed to know the course.

"You must be good," Mick said.

"Uh no, remember, I'm the one who started _this_ year?" I replied.

"That's unfair! A newbie going at night! That's not safe," Anna stuck up for me. I chuckled.

"I don't think that's going to change anything, but thanks for trying." I smiled.

We all walked back into the resort and went to the cafeteria. We were all laughing and making jokes. When it reached three, we went back out. I had a race in two hours. We watched some of the ski jumping and went back in forth to cheer on our school.

We were walking back when we heard the crowd start screaming, we looked back and people were rushing the bottom of the ski jump. I paled.

"That's not a good sign guys," I told them. No one needed to say anything to know that that was an understatement. We stayed frozen in place as we heard shouts go out and the crowd back up. Everything seemed to be happening in a blur. Before I knew it I heard the sirens and an ambulance driving on the snow.

"This is way serious," Mick said. It wasn't necessary, but we were all a little freaked.

"Our school wasn't up was it?" Eva asked.

"Does it matter?" Mick snapped back. Mick was right though, it doesn't matter if we know them or not. It was serious.

On top of that my race was in ten minutes

Slowly we unfroze and I started making my way towards my equipment. I put on my skis and my friends encouraged me and told them they would be watching me and cheering me on. I wouldn't have had it any other way. I smiled as they gave me their luck and I skied toward the lift. I got in line and soon enough I was the one getting on the lift. I closed my eyes and thought about the race I was about to do. I was going to do fine. I was going to fly.

I was going to win.

I got of the lift and skied toward the starting line. There were still some skiers in front of me. Some man came by and checked me and made sure I was 'ready to go'. After I was set he left me to check the person behind me.

Slowly the number of people in front of me decreased, and soon enough I was the one who was up to go down.

As I was at the top of the hill, I was freaking out. That was an understatement.

All I know was that I was in the ready position and I heard "GO".

I flew off. I was off to a good start.

I loved the feeling of the wind whip around me.

I loved flying down the hill at the unnatural speed.

I loved seeing things go by as quickly as they came.

I loved going on the jumps and being airborne.

I loved making sharp turns.

I loved how the snow flew up when I made the sharp turns.

I was feeling solid, invincible almost. I was making considerable time. It was peaceful out. The sky was pretty. Everything was going well. I was still high on the hill when I saw the ball in the middle of the course. I knew that it would roll out of the way. Some mom probably lost track of her son.

Then I saw the boy.

I know that a little boy was not supposed to be on the track. I heard some people scream. Internally I was freaking out. I was way to close. I didn't have enough time to react. Quickly I turned off course so I wouldn't hit the boy. Then my luck changed for me. My ski came off and suddenly I was flying. I felt safe for the split second I was in the air, but then when I hit the ground I knew that this could not _possibly_ be good. I hit the ground with my shoulder and I rolled over a couple times. Somewhere during the process my other ski fell off. All I could hope was that the little boy was okay.

Finally I came to a stop and my leg was burning. I did a quick system check and nothing felt wrong. Only my hamstring hurt. But my hamstring hurt BAD. Suddenly I heard a crunching of snow and I heard a little boy ask, "Are you okay?"

I wanted to reply to him so bad, but my body felt heavy. My blood was pumping through my body. "Are you alright?" the boy asked again, but more rushed. Finally I found the strength open my mouth.

"I'm fine," I croaked out. It wasn't hard to figure the kid was crying. Suddenly I heard more yelling.

"OVER HERE!" the boy's voice cracked. I heard more snow crunching.

"Miss, can you hear me?" I heard a man ask.

"Yeh," I managed to mumble out.

"What hurts?" he asked again. I was amazed at how calm he was. I heard more crunching as I realized people had a sled that they were going to put me on.

"Ug-" was all I was able to mutter out. I heard more snow crunching.

"Is she alright?" I heard a voice frantically ask. I've heard that voice somewhere before…

"You are not supposed to be here," the man calmly replied.

"Is she alright?" the boy replied more forcefully.

"I don't know yet," the man calmly replied again, but there was more of an edge in his voice.

"Cammie, open your eyes," the boy ordered. I realized that I hadn't opened my eyes. Someone pulled my goggles off slowly so it wouldn't hurt. "Cam, please, open your eyes," the boy said again.

Slowly and disoriented I began to open my eyes. After about a minute of being blinded by the snow I moved my head slightly so that I wouldn't be staring into the snow.

"Gallagher Girl." I looked up to see Zach, totally freaked out.

"You know her?" the man asked.

"Yeah," Zach snapped. "Gallagher Girl, what hurts?" asked me with more patience in his voice. I tried to voice my words, but my mouth was heavy. Finally I was able to move my mouth, but no words were coming out.

"Gallagher Girl, take your time," Zach said softly. I closed my eyes for a second and then reopened them. Everyone was watching me still. I started to move one hand. Good to know that my arm works.

"Your arm?" Zach asked. I barely shook my head no. He still understood. Slowly I moved my arm to my right leg. "Your leg hurts?" Zach asked again. I slightly nodded.

"Anything else?" the man asked. I shook my head no. At least no other pain and registered in my body yet. The buzzing in my leg wasn't bad either. It only felt as if I pulled my hamstring.

"H'mstrin," I slurred out.

"I'm sorry what?" the man asked.

"H'mstrin," I tried again.

"Hamstring?" Zach asked. I looked at him. "It's her hamstring." I was a little amazed at how well Zach read me, but it doesn't matter I guess. Suddenly I felt hands touching me and lifting me up. I heard crying and I looked to my left. I saw the little boy, but I saw trees all around us. Trees? I must've flown way off course. The kid's eyes were red, and his cheeks were really puffy. I slowly reached my hand out to him. The 'adults' watched me closely.

"Can you do me a favor?" I croaked out. I thought of how freaked out the kid must've been. I probably looked like death through his eyes. "Roll up my suit and take my bracelet. Until I take it back, keep it," I told the kid. I chuckled thinking of how cheesy this was and how it always happened in the movies.

Except I wouldn't be dying anytime soon.

My chuckle soon resulted in a coughing fit though and the boy quickly took my bracelet. I flashed him a smile (which probably looked more like a grimace) and then a medic lead me out the woods. After a few minutes we finally came out of the woods. I heard some clapping, but it was mostly quiet. Quickly the paramedic went down the hill and we were at the bottom in mere seconds. _'I was seconds away from doing my personal best'_.

Just as soon as we reached the bottom, I was being man-handled. I was dead exhausted and all I remember was being lifted from the sled. Then I fell into sleep.

**Ugh, fanfiction doesn't like my page breaks. Page Break**

I woke up in my hotel room. I felt a little sore, but I thought nothing of it. It was when I tried to sit up when I remembered that I was thrown off course into the woods. I thought a little more about it, and wondered how I didn't hit any trees. Maybe I was lucky. Yeah. That was probably it.

I heard something to my right and my head whipped sideways. Didn't hurt a bit, nope. I saw Zach with Courtney, Eva, Mick, Anna, Coach Thompson, and some people I didn't even recognize.

"How are you feeling?" Mick blurted out right away. From the glares she got I figured out that that was something she _wasn't_ supposed to say.

"Fine," I replied. Everyone looked a little taken back.

"She speaks," one of the men stated.

"Yeah," I slowly replied. I guess I wasn't supposed to be able to talk.

"Then what's wrong with her?" another man muttered. "She was thrown around and yet we can't find anything wrong with her!" I studied the two men, and realized that they were probably doctors.

"I feel fine," I stated bluntly.

"She's fine then," the other doctor spoke. Then the two doctors left the room.

"That's not the end of them. You'll be seeing them more," Coach Thompson told me. "Get better," and with that he left. Which left me with Eva, Mick, Anna, Courtney, and Zach.

"God, I thought you were never going to wake up," Mick told me. I cracked a small smile.

"Yeah, you've been unconscious, sleeping, whatever for like three hours," Eva rushed out next.

"It seems like eternity!" Anna piped.

"I feel fine, maybe a little hungry-"

"I'll go get you a hamburger!"

"Don't forget a drink!"

"Buy a side-meal-thingy!"

"I don't want to stay behind! I'll go with you guys!"

"…"

I watched the four of them race out the door and down the hall. The door shut and soon enough I found myself alone with Mr. Goode. I looked over at me and was staring at me. He didn't even look away when I caught him staring. It was more like he stared _more_.

"Uh, hey," I awkwardly spoke out.

"Did you pull your hamstring?"

I sat there a moment wondering what the heck he was talking about. Then it struck me that when the other medics were with me in the woods, I mumbled out my hamstring hurt. I lifted my leg a little bit realizing that my hamstring _did_ in fact hurt.

"Yeah," I replied, a little awed.

"You told-"

"I figured as much," I cut him off. He watched me for a second then nodded.

"Does it still-"

"Yeah," I finished. Then the door flew open and coach and the girls walked in. I ate the food they gave me and we made some small talk. After a while Anna and them left to go hang out in the cafeteria, but more or less _away_ from our coach.

"So how are you feeling?" Coach asked again.

"I think I pulled my hamstring," I replied a little uncertainly. Coach looked a little nervous for a second.

"The uh-" suddenly the whole room filled with people from our school. Maybe Eva and them went to go get the team. That would've been sweet of them.

"Get better!" I heard multiple people saying it from multiple directions. Overall the message was the same - get well soon. Then things just had to get awkward.

"Does, uh, anyone know how to wrap a hamstring?" Coach blurted out.

"What do you mean?" someone called out from the crowd of kids in the room.

"Wait, why can't I get a medic or something?" I asked.

"The trainers are busy with other injuries that they can tend to. Right now people think your injuries are more major than they are," Coach told me.

"Zach's the most medically educated!" someone else blurted out.

"Yeah, he knows the most! He's wrapped my foot before!"

"He helped me with my arm!"

Suddenly I was hearing praises for Zach left and right. It was a little shocking.

"Then Zach. Can you… help Cammie out with her… er…. Situation?" coach asked.

"Sure." With that one word everyone was ushered out of my room. Can this get any more awkward?

"So, um…" I tried to start a conversation. Zach just avoided my eyes.

"I'm going to help you up to a sitting position," Zach told me what he was going to do. Slowly he lifted me up. I was mostly leaning on him as I sat upright. "You're still in your suit?" Zach muttered more to himself. I realized that he was only talking to me when he had to. And when he was talking to me it wasn't because he wanted to, it was more or less for medical purposes. I watched his face as slowly his cheeks flushed.

"I'm going to need you to, uh, change out of your racing suit," he awkwardly told me. "I'll just be out the door."

"How are you supposed to know when to come back in? It's not like I can walk." I had just woken up and I was pretty disoriented.

"Right…." I looked to my bed side and saw I had a sweatshirt.

"Zach, can you get me some shorts?" He walked over to my suitcase and I told him where to look, so he wouldn't get into anything he wouldn't want to get into. He tossed them to me. "Turn the other way." As soon as I said it Zach faced the other way. I stared at him as I quickly changed out of my suit into a sweatshirt and some baggy shorts.

"I'm good," I quietly told me. He turned around and his poker face was on. Come to think of it, as soon as his cheeks flushed his poker face came on…

"Sit on the edge of the bed," he instructed me. I did as I was told. "How bad does it hurt?"

"Pretty bad."

"Scale of one to ten?"

"Solid eight and a half."

"…"

I watched as he brought some icy hot and materials to wrap my leg.

"Where abouts does the pain begin and end?" Slowly I pulled my leg up, and I felt the tug almost right away. I pointed right away. I saw Zach's cheeks flush a little bit again before his face went emotionless.

"So pretty much a little above the back of your knee to a little below your, er, butt," he spoke awkwardly. I knew he was dreading this. I smiled a little bit laughing a pinch at Zach. He gave me a glare before tugging on my leg.

"OW," I blurted out.

"Sorry," he said like an angel. We all knew it was on purpose though. "Actually I need you to move more towards the edge." I inched my way toward the edge of the bed before Zach got sick of it and pulled me toward the edge of the bed. Awkwardly I stayed in his embrace as he positioned me so that it was more easy to wrap my leg.

"I need you to flip over for a second," he told me. I rolled over so that I was on my stomach. Then I felt warm hands on my leg.

"Zach," I said, I little edge in my voice. It felt, _awkward_ to say the least.

"Sorry," he muttered. Then he proceeded to lift my shorts up.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I'm sorry, I can't properly do this if I can't," he didn't bother finishing. He was obviously flustered that he was left with this job. He lifted my shorts up until they were right below my butt. My whole leg was exposed. It felt awkward. Then I felt his hands rubbing my leg, then kneading it.

"Zach that feels amazing," I truthfully told him as he massaged my muscle. He stayed quiet. Then I felt his hands leave and I heard a pop. Next thing I knew something cold was being rubbed against my leg.

"It's cold," I told him as I shivered a little bit.

"It's icy hot," Zach replied. After he put icy hot all over my hamstring, he stared to wrap it. First in prewrap. The first few layers he did loosely, but as he continued on he started to wrap it a little tighter. Tight coils up, one wrap around going down. He went over and over until I had a layer of prewrap, probably five layers deep.

"Is that all necessary?" I questioned.

"Probably not. Probably over did it," he replied. Then he repeated the same thing except with the bandage. After a few minutes he finished with a, "Done."

Slowly I turned around. He held out his hand, as if to help me out of bed. I grabbed his hand and I pulled myself out of the bed. It was really awkward at first. I had never pulled a muscle and my leg felt stiff.

"It'll feel a little stiff at first, but then your muscle will relax," Zach told me, still holding my hand. Suddenly he smirked. The smirk that I hadn't seen in forever.

The smirk that made my heart beat a little faster.

"I like your sweatshirt." I looked down to see that it was his football sweatshirt.

"Don't be cocky," I playfully shoved him. Secretly I was surprised though. I didn't remember packing it, yet it was sitting with the clothes I wore on the bus. I know I wouldn't of worn the sweatshirt in school. That would **horrible**. That's probably an understatement.

"Um, want to go get hot chocolate?" Zach awkwardly asked. He scratched the back of his head and it was so un-Zach like.

It was as if he was nervous.

I smiled as I realized I had some kind of an effect on him also. "Sure. I would love that."

**Ugh, fanfiction doesn't like my page breaks. Page Break**

That was 5,180 words. Of the story I mean. I think that's amazing. I think it deserves some reviews. :)


	9. Chapie 9

**Sorry for not updating sooner! I need like, someone to email me or something every day like after a week. Just to remind me about this story.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I think I got everyone, if it's not bolded that means the name was anonymous. **

L**aughlongdreambig / da1wholikesawkwardlaughter / **kj **/ **AJ10** / **Vicky** / **Jinx** / **Lokok** / Caricature Intimacy (thank you for your long reviews. :) / **hey there delilah** / EvangelineCircleInDaHouse / SpiritandBlood / Pinkpolkadots821 / a2zm / **i want candy** / **cammie** / **hey you GUUUuuYYYYSSS** / **mindy** / **demented** / UndercoverLover000 / hearts4ever / **kitty** / **lulu** / **annabeth** / GallagherGirlLover / **G G** / **Mll7997** / **Jkgtd** / **barbie girl** / Complicated-Me / Mirian C. Garnet / Snappy Sun / **Comando** / Soccergirl121 / AirJordan10 / SilverGoldsun - .Day. / **Anonymous** / **Aphrodite** / **Sami** / Laughlongdreambig / plain-jane23 / **Woooooow** / Micomape / **Lily** / Cammiemorganrules / **Jojo21** / Ellenfp / Katiebear95 / Maiqu / **Nnn** / Uhad2ask / Bookworm1256 / **Muuuuaahhh** / **Annie** / **school sucks** / **chapter fairy** / **Treehouses** / **Cookies** / **Yollanda** / **Tamy** / **Cookie** / **Lovely** / **Messesgoodenewtmen** / **Wow** / Horselover1996 / **super trooper** / **MNMN** / **Sakura Blossom** / **:D** / Bexparks / **…** / **GallagehrGirlx258** / **Juhygjk** / **GG** / **** / **happy birthday!** / **Hello** / **Hey**/ **.** / 2goode4u / **Happybirthdaygoodezammierocks** / xMiracleRain / xxPSxxIxxLUVxxU / **Cammielover** / (love your name) /**maybay parade** / **blah blah blah** / **Drivers** / **Lol** / **Dude** / **009** / **Jess3** / Rezchick007 / **omg!** / **Cooking** / **zZaAcChH** / **morningsleepyhead** / **Standards** / Kelsey Goode / **Ahhh** / **3 your item** / **Love** / **25!** / **Love** / DiVaGiRl13 / **Sweatshirts** / **b as in b, s as in s** / **macey's** / **Macceeyyy** / **amazingmuch** / **oh em gee** / **you know who** / **Pictures** / **Random** / **zammie all the way!** / **so what** / **comeon** / **Shortie** / **Whoa** / **Zammie** / **Awww **/** kyle is amazingggg** / **Notas** / BlackThrneBoysGgirl / **Lalalallala** / **Snowflake** / **CAMMIEEANDZACH4EVER** / **ZAMMIE** / Ashyka0o0o0Gallagher / **babygirl!** / **~J. (:** / justinbieber'sgf / **3** / **KYLE'S THE BEST** / **Rosie** / JJ-romeo-save-me / **Hardcorereader** / HapiN3ss / **Omgee** /**

**PAGE BREAK**

I was hobbling down the stairs with Zach in front of me, glancing back every once in a while to make sure I didn't fall down the stairs. I got some hot chocolate once we made it to the cafeteria. He got some chicken strips with fries (and a cookie, YUM) and came back to sit down at the table we were seated at.

"So, uh, how'd you fall?" Zach asked finally speaking up. We were both chewing on the chicken and fries in front of our faces.

"I saw a ball roll across the track," I replied, "and I thought it would pass. I did NOT expect a little boy to come running out."

"So that little kid was on the track? No one's allowed on the hill," Zach, confused, replied to me.

"Well obviously. I thought it was weird how they closed off the area. They made it so that people could watch from the sidelines, instead of at the bottom." I got no reply out of Zach, but instead we quietly ate the meal. I wasn't terribly hungry, since Courtney brought me food already, but Zach ate like a normal person would. He finally finished and we split the cookie he bought. After that he got up and I had the sense to follow him. We walked over to another area in the lounge, by the wall that was all glass over-looking the mountain. I assumed parents most likely watched from here. It was a nice view. We sat there the longest time, sipping our hot chocolates. Finally coach came around and made sure everyone got to bed. Once I got in the room I was overcome with drowsiness. And fell asleep very quickly.

The thing that disturbed me was that I was woken up at _four in the morning_.

"Cammie, come on! Our team is going to race. We have to go!" she told me, shaking me to try and get me out of bed. it must've been race make-ups from yesterday. They were behind and from all the injuries (I guess I wasn't the only one. I found out yesterday that three people were taken away on the ambulance) so they had to go the extra day. But Courtney wasn't Macey, and I don't listen to anyone else really so it's always a struggle to get me up otherwise. There was a knock at our door.

"BAUER! LET'S GO! Your teammates are going to race soon!" I heard Coach Thompson yell… at four in the morning.

"Cammie won't wake up!" she yelled back, shaking me more. I thought it felt good.

"Open the door!" he yelled. Mentally, I was a little worried, but my body wasn't processing anything so I just shook it off. I heard Courtney go unlock the door, and I heard a mob of footsteps come in.

Aw shit, blackmail.

"MORGAN!" coach bellowed. I didn't flinch. In fact, I think I was more or less falling back asleep…

"See! She won't respond to ANYTHING," Courtney told him despairingly. Then the covers were pulled off of me. The room was warm enough so I didn't even protest.

"Damn." I _almost_ laughed when I heard Zach mutter that, but I kept it in. My poker face was still up and everything was good. "I'll get her up, just everyone leave," Zach then stated.

Now **THAT** got me worried.

"Don't do anything stupid, Goode," I heard Eva snap, then I heard some shuffling and the door clicked. Then there was a soft breeze by my neck and I shivered. Then my eyes snapped open and I flipped around. I looked up to see Zach with a little fan blowing on my neck. He got me. Zach rolled his eyes and then threw some of my sweatpants at me. Next thing I knew he was out the door and gone.

And I was awake. Darn.

**PAGE BREAK**

I was forced to layer up since I was hurt. They made me put on layers and layers and layers! By the end I was wearing at least three under armor shirts (more than sufficient), a long sleeve shirt, and two t-shirts. With a sweatshirt may I add. Embarrassing enough, the only sweatshirt that I could find was Zach's. I was going to have a little chit chat with him later about that. I was wearing two thin sweats with the team warm up sweatpants. I was going to be a-okay on the slopes today.

I was given crutches so that I could move quickly rather than limping everywhere. I made it to the grounds (about fifteen minutes late which isn't HORRIBLE for it being four in the freaking MORNING. I talked with Eva, Mick, Anna, and Courtney was elsewhere, flirting with boys I heard. So I wasn't going to get caught in that. Then Eva left to go watch the jumps, and Anna and Mick soon followed. So I was standing by myself watching the boys now ski downhill.

Most of them were fast and reckless, but fast all the same. They were using a different course from the girls, which I found a little weird (and maybe insulting). I watched as different teams went down, and congratulated each other at the end of the hill. Then I recognized our racing suit. I stared as I paid attention to the boy who just went down. I looked at the screen.

'NICK PRITCHARD'

I watched as I saw his name go first on the list of the top three, kicking out the last on the list from Blackthrone. I laughed, thinking of Thomas. Then I looked to see what the kid looked like.

I swear my jaw dropped.

IT WAS THAT KETCHUP KID! The boy who squirted the ketchup all over Manny Rodriguez! I had to contain myself, not to yell at the kid.

I loved that boy.

Then I saw another boy go whipping by. I watched, knowing that my school was skiing right now. This kid was good too, but he didn't make it on the board. I almost laughed, seeing us in first. That hardly happened.

"Hey," I looked over to see Nick.

"Nice run," I smiled.

"Thanks. You're the girl who almost hit the kid yesterday?" he asked.

"Way to make me look like the bad guy!" I chuckled. He laughed then let out a loud whoop. I looked up to see a boy skiing down ungodly fast. I wasn't sure if it was safe. Yet he was graceful at the same time, and it looked cool. I watched as he took a turn near us and sprayed some snow onto Nick and I. Nick laughed as I just stared at the kid who was doing this.

"Who was that?" I demanded as he was almost to the finish line. Nick seemed entranced though and suddenly he was covering my eyes. "NICK , I barely know you," I ground out, trying not to flip the kid over my shoulder.

"But you can't see who that was. Not till you meet him." Meet him? I heard the crunching of snow. "Nice run, man," I heard Nick say. There was an awkward silence as no one spoke. "Oh this? I was making sure she couldn't see the amazingness until you were here. Otherwise she would judge."

"It's Zach. I figured that much out," I muttered sarcastically.

"Damn, isn't she good, Zach?" with that Nick put his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, but I mean, what would maker her think I was bad at this?" I smiled a little on the inside to see that he was somewhat talking to me again. He had been pretty quiet.

"Because you're Zach," I simply replied.

"Exactly! I'm good at everything!" I gave him a look and he put his hands up, but said nothing more.

"Hey, Logan's racing next so I'm gona wait for him at the end of the hill," Nick told us and made his way down the hill. Which left an awkward silence between Zach and I. We watched the other racers in silence when I felt a tug at my sweatpants. At first I thought I was being pantsed, but then I looked down to see the little boy from yesterday.

I studied him more. He was a little blond boy with blue eyes. He looked to be around eight. He was wearing a very warm looking jacket with jeans and shoes… your typical little all-American boy.

"Hey there," I called down to him. I saw Zach's head whip toward me obviously startled. The little boy looked back up at me wide eyed. Then he shoved his hands out and I saw my bracelet. It wasn't anything fancy - just a string bracelet that I had made when I was younger. I looked at the bracelet then back at the kid. He looked like he was on the verge of crying again.

"Here's your bracelet," he managed to choke out before tears started rolling down his cheeks. I bent down to his level.

"Where was your mommy yesterday?" I asked him softly.

"She was inside," he sobbed. He was down right crying now.

"How did the ball get onto the track?" I asked.

"Some boy grabbed it and threw it onto the track and I went to get it!" he wailed. My eyebrow raised.

"A boy threw it on the track?" I asked.

"Yeah! He was wearing a race suit like - LIKE THAT ONE!" I almost fell back at his sudden outburst. I immediately looked at where his finger was pointed to see the boy at the end of the race track. He got third place. I saw the race suit was red and black with some white mixed in. That was all I could really make out from so high up.

"North St. Paul," Zach ground out. I looked at him as he looked down to me. "Rivals. _Bitter_ rivals."

That explains _everything_. Note the sarcasm.

Zach sighed and we broke eye contact. "They should at least get a place, but somehow Brooklyn Park or us knocks them out so they don't place. In this sport," he trailed off.

"They play dirty?" I asked. Zach just nodded his head. The sudden wail put my attention back to the little boy.

"I'm sorry!" he repeated over. And over. And over. I put my hand on his mouth to try and get him to shut up, but he kept on crying.

"Hey, it's alright. Just don't go over the orange plastic fence when people are racing," I told him. The little boy just nodded and handed out his hand again with my bracelet in it. "Keep it. It'll remind you not to cross the fence." That probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever said, it just made the little boy bawl even more.

"Hey, kid. It's okay. Everyone makes er, mistakes," Zach bent down too. The kid looked at Zach.

"Who are you and what do you have to do with anything?" he snapped. I almost laughed. I watched as Zach's eyes widened slightly, then he just stood up to watch the race.

"He's right though," I whispered to the kid so that Zach couldn't hear me. "It's okay. I want you to keep the bracelet, k?" With that I put the bracelet on and sent him off. He was such a… strange kid.

"No, Courtney!" I looked over to see Courtney running up the hill with Nick's hat giggling. Ah, the flirt. Nick was catching up to her easily, but they were still smiling.

"Aw look at them!" Zach said in a girly voice. I had to laugh. It was different to his natural deep one, and he usually never wavered from his normal one.

Once Nick caught Courtney and had her in his arms, struggling to get his hat, he yelled, "Zach! You know that we're just friends!" Zach just chuckled.

"You look like you're going out," I added. I received a I'll-tell-you-later-so-don't-bug-me look. Then I think Mick and Eva table topped the two at the same time and they both went rolling down the hill. "Are they going out?" I asked Zach. He looked at me and shook his head, then left.

"Wonder what's eating him," Anna said as he watched Zach go down the hill.

"Dunno. He hasn't talked much, or said any flirty remarks. Or witty for that matter!" I replied. They stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"I do not like Nick," Courtney stated. I whirled around to see Courtney. Must've had a nice run up the hill.

"Right. That's why you guys were hugging a minute ago while tumbling down the hill," I sarcastically replied back.

"It's more of a best friend thing," she told me. I looked at Mick.

"Yeah, it's true. They tell each other everything. They're so 'friendly' everyone thinks they're going out," Mick explained.

"That is not true! We act like normal friends!" Courtney protested.

"Yeah, because normal friends run around hugging each other with ogling eyes," Eva teased.

"NO! Eva! You know that-"

"COURNTEY! I'm just teasing!" Eva tried to settle Courtney down, but she was pretty wound up. I sighed, not wanting to be involved in this any more I walked down the slope and to my room.

**PAGE BREAK**

"Cammie? Cammie!" I was being shook again.

"UGH," I ground out.

"CAMMIE!" my mind processed it was Courtney's voice.

"Five more minutes," I mumbled.

"THE BUS IS LEAVING IN FIVE MINTUES," Courtney exasperatedly stated. Pfft, well they wouldn't leave without me. I stayed silent as Courtney grumbled.

"I get Zach," she threatened. I stayed put. "DANG!" she shrieked in frustration. I almost laughed, but I was too much in dream zone.

Then I fell over back into dream zone.

Next thing I knew I heard zippers zipping and I felt the covers move the slightest to notify me my used clothes were being taken off the bed.

Then I felt someone's arms come around me. I felt them slip around the backs of my knees, and by my back. I felt safe, yet in danger. Once I was hoisted I knew I wasn't in Zach's arms. The smell wasn't as good.

"Thanks, Nick," I heard Courtney whisper. I grinned internally. So Nick was carrying me, eh? Maybe a little time for jealousy. I positioned myself more and put my head in the crook of Nick's neck, while slowly putting my hands around his neck. I felt him swallow and I almost laughed. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from giggling. I heard footsteps stop and I knew that Courtney was turning around. I pulled myself closer to Nick and I felt a little heat.

"Oh, by the way- what is she doing?" I heard the bitterness at the end of that statement as I was being carried down the stairs.

"I swear I didn't do anything. I'm carrying her with _two arms_," Nick whispered back in a rush. I heard the footsteps start up again and we walked in silence. After a while I heard running.

"What happened?"

Zach.

Aw, was the kid worried for me? He sounded rushed. Suddenly we were all stopped.

"No, she wouldn't wake up," Courtney sighed. She didn't sound mad anymore. She seemed just as perky and happy as she always was.

"And you're letting _Nick_ carry her?"

"What, got something against me, man?"

"No, but - never mind. I'll take her."

With that I felt myself being pushed away from the heat and another set of hands around my body. Then I was being pulled closely to another source of heat. I felt myself snuggle into Zach, trying to get closer to him. I was half dead okay? I finally felt content as I felt him pull me closer and start walking again. He smelt _so_ good. I wrapped my hands around him as I clung to him. Then I felt the cold rush of being outside. After a few steps I was starting to get sleepy again. Before I got into the bus I was fast asleep.

**PAGE BREAK**

It felt like it was too soon to be woken up again. I clutched the piece of fabric that was moving beneath me. I burried my head further into the sweatshirt I was sleeping on.

"Cam, it's been three hours. I can't be your bed mattress the whole time! Plus we're stopping to eat," I heard Zach grind out. Seems like he wasn't too pleased to be my mattress. I let him crawl out from underneath me as he grabbed his sweatshirt that was acting as my pillow on top of his chest. He was smart to bring a blanket and pillow. I snatched his real pillow as he left, drifting off into sleep, yet not. I was in a half awake half asleep.

"Aren't they the cutest thing?"

"I know! I wonder if they're dating?"

"That would be unfair! She can't just come in and steal him like that!"

"Wow, I wish I were Zach right now."

"He's lucky to have a hot girlfriend."

"Hey, isn't that Cammie Morgan? Damn, she's fine! I haven't seen her before!"

"She's on our team, man."

Those were only part of the things I heard as I laid in the two cushioned seats. Then I heard the sound around me hush and someone tapped the back of my leg.

"Cammie, get up." I clutched the pillow harder, not wanting to sit up. "I bought you food." I was up in a heart beat. I had a huge head rush and slumped back down, but I was super hungry. I heard Zach laugh softly under his breathe.

"What chu get?" I slurred out. My mouth wasn't cooperating. In fact my whole body felt as if it were shut down.

"We're stopped at a gas station with subway in it, so if you want something you could still go-"

"Did you get a cookie?" I interrupted.

"Yeah, but what does that-"

"That's all I wanted to know," I cut him off again. He stared at me, as if to let me speak, but then grabbed the two bags on the floor.

"Here's your sandwich. I don't know what you like so I just got a regular BLT," he told me. That was just fine with me. I quickly took out the sandwich and unwrapped it. Zach watched me amused. "You act as if you were being starved," he smirked, which I smiled at. I opened a bag of chips and ate my dinner… or lunch… or whatever time it was.

We stayed for another ten to fifteen minutes letting people use the bathroom or buy snacks. Courtney bought me some puffercorn (yeah! Again!) along with a huge bag of starburst. I wasn't finishing anything for a while. I sat upright so Zach could get back into his seat. I slumped in my seat and bought my legs up to crisscross them on the seat.

"HEY PEOPLE!" I looked up to see the senior Erin Wilson stand up in the front. "We want to watch a movie, so we're going to have a vote." She went through about seven options when we all decided on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As the movie started I saw Zach stand up and stretch - reaching his hands to the ceiling. Since we were in the very last row it didn't matter much. I slid out of the seat to whirl around to go to the bathroom. By the time I got out, the lights were dimmed, signifying that you could either sleep or watch the movie.

I was about to sit when I noticed the leg sticking out of the seat. I looked up to see Zach leaning against his pillow, that was against the window. His eyes were half lidded and he looked tired as he stared at the screen.

I sure wasn't.

So I got the brilliant idea of somersaulting down the little aisle. I started down and I got a few snickers. I stopped when I heard Eva hiss my name. She told me I was being noisy. So I tried to cartwheel back. After I kicked Nick in the face, I stopped. It didn't have to do with the fact I was laughing for a solid minute and got yelled at by everyone, it had to do with the fact that my toe really hurt for kicking Nick's ear.

I finally made it back to my row, and I saw Zach was totally passed out. I laughed but everyone around me immediately shushed me. I sat in between Zach's legs as I ate my puffercorn and watched the movie. I was probably the only one laughing at the funny parts, because by then everyone in the bus was sleeping. After the bridge scene I was pretty tired myself, and I decided to sleep. Then I realized that Zach was taking everything up. So I shoved him off the seat.

Hey, word of advice, you don't mess with me when I'm tired.

"Wha- what?" Zach softly stammered out as he looked up.

"Sorry, you were hogging the room," I whispered back as I laid down where he was. It was warm since he was lying there for the past hour. He stared at me and I gave him a small smile before laying my head completely on the pillow.

I heard him softly pull himself off the ground and back up. "If you think you're getting the blanket to yourself you are mistaken," he whispered. It sent shivers down my spin the way he spoke. Then I felt the blanket being pulled off of me and I was about to protest when I felt a body there instead. Suddenly I was flipped and I was lying flat on him.

"Relax," Zach whispered in my ear. I realized I was tense.

But how can you tell a girl not to tense when she's rolled around and laid on top of a boy that she might like more than a friend?

Slowly I relaxed into him, as he laid the blanket on top of me. Then he wrapped his arms around me as he breathed into my hair. I felt his hands incoherently make traces up and down my back as my hands found themselves wrapping underneath him to his back. I _could feel_ his smirk as I cuddled against him. Everything below our shins were sticking out the seat, and I prayed that anyone who came to use the bathroom would not bump into our seat.

I realized that we probably only had an hour or two left of the ride, but I shrugged it off and fell asleep anyways.

Zach was a warm person to sleep with.

**PAGE BREAK**

**Forgive me PLEASE! I know the last part sucks (everything towards the last part too… alright maybe the whole chapter), but it was after midnight!**

**I'll mention you in the next chapter if you can figure out what state all the cities mentioned were located in.**

**Tell me how it was:**

**I throw my hands up = picture perfect amazingness**

**In the air sometimes = s' okay, I'll keep reading**

**Singing AY-OH = was good but might not want to read the next chapter**

**Gotta let go = you need to rewrite it all**

**Review. C:**


	10. Chapie 10

**Thank you XxXxXThalia Loves DamonXxXxX for your review. It made me smile. :) Caricature Intimacy, I gotta say that your reviews make me laugh. Hard. For a while.**

**DEDICATED TO AMANDA WHO IS LEAVING FOR ALASKA TODAY! I GOTTA SAY I'LL MISS YOUR REVIEWS :(**

**PAGE BREAK**

My eyes slightly fluttered open as it adjusted to the dark black. Where was I? I glanced to my left and came in contact with a seat. Right, still in that dang stage coach. I felt motion in the crook of my neck and froze. Come to think of it, my whole body felt heavy, as if gravity was really working it's thing on me. I lifted my hands but was restricted by the blanket that was around me. Then I felt something move above me. That really had me freaked.

It took me a few moments to realize that it was Zach, who was on top of me. He shivered so I put my hands back where they used to lay. I felt the warmth from where they were sitting for the past… however long we had been sleeping. Zach pushed his head further into my neck, hiding his face. I chuckled from his short hair brushing up against my neck and tickling me. It wasn't a buzz, but it wasn't exactly long either. I decided that we must've been fairly close to the school and slowly removed myself from underneath him.

I heard him protest, but I slid out. He just laid on the seats by himself and held the pillow. I snickered but didn't take a picture. See? I do have a nice side. But I did have to get him back for the whole sweatshirt deal… I decided against it anyways.

I sat on the floor and felt sleepy again. Damn, I guess when they say you get tired when you get injured really is true. Slowly I felt myself drift.

When I woke up the lights were all on and the bus stopped. I looked around to see Zach no longer in the seat and no one in the seats across the aisle. I closed my eyes and decided that we were back at the school due to all the feet shuffling.

"Thank God, I'm outta here," I heard Nick say from up front. He was the only one speaking in the silenced bus.

"Just because Cammie accidentally kicked you from the nose to your ear doesn't mean it was a bad bus ride." I heard the snickering of the people who saw my… 'accident'. Suddenly I was grabbed and being lifted.

"Wakey, wakey," Zach teased into my ear as he threw me over his shoulder. I heard people laugh and snicker at us, but I was mostly pounding my fist into Zach's side covertly, anything for him to drop me.

He walked outside and I heard a menacing voice consisting of a, "What the hell do you think you're fucking doing?"

See where I get my swearing from.

"Hey, Grant. You're little sister just couldn't get enough of me this weekend," Zach replied, cockily may I add.

"Just get your hands away from my sister. It's bad enough I have to give you a goddamn ride home."

Someone's in a bad mood.

Once we got in the car (Zach in front so Grant could watch over him) it was silent. No music, no talking, no ridiculing, _nothing_. We got home in a short two minutes and I got out right away. It was so awkward in that car. Zach and Grant took more time getting out and Grant popped the trunk. I got in the house and sighed contently. I was home. I rushed up the stairs to my bed room and flopped onto my bed, or as fast as an injured person could rush. Bed, sweet bed!

"Cam," I looked over to see Grant with a strange expression I don't usually see: confliction.

"Spit it," I demanded.

"I forgot when dad's birthday was," he blurted.

"Um, November nineteenth," I told him a little confused.

"Thanks, I've been dying to know," he told me as he walked down the hall towards his room. I stared down the hall after him, but after he closed his door, which he usually never did, I sat upright. Something was weird. Grant was tense, Zach was acting weird, and well… that was what made life weird I guess.

"Cammie!" I looked up to see mom.

"Hey, mom," I smiled.

"Hey sweetheart. How was the racing?" she asked me.

"I pulled my hamstring, but I'm okay otherwise," I replied.

"I heard," she said while eyeing my leg worriedly.

"Mom, seriously. I'm fine. I have it all wrapped up."

"You sure you don't have to ice it, honey?" she asked again.

"Positive."

"I'm going to get your father's input on this," she told me as she walked back out the door and down the stairs. I sighed as I waited for my dad to come up and teach me medical stuff. The joys of the army.

**PAGE BREAK**

"CAMMIE!"

"Five more minutes, _please_," I begged. I said it but I was pretty sure the voice was calling from downstairs.

"SCHOOL _STARTS_ IN FIVE MINUTES!"

"CRAP!"

I bolted out of bed wondering why the heck Macey hadn't woken me up. She usually wakes me up early enough to get some breakfast in before we would race off to school. Once I finally was out of bed (which consisted of me falling out of my bed onto the rug floor) I looked at the end of my bed to find no uniform. I looked on the ground.

No uniform.

Where was Macey?

"Mace?" I called out.

"She's not, here," I saw Grant appear in the doorway.

"Then where is she," I tried keeping the annoyance out of my voice.

"I'll explain on the way," Grant quietly told me. Something from his tone made me feel that something had gone wrong, terribly wrong while I was gone.

"Silently I walked to my closet and opened it for the first time since… since I got there. Macey always dealt with my clothes. I grabbed my uniform and quickly slipped it on. I wanted to know what was wrong with Macey as soon as possible. I bolted out of the doors and ran down the stair.

"Have a good time at school, hon!" I looked behind me as I raced out the door to see my mom waving me off.

Which she never did.

I got in the car and slammed the door as Grant put the car in reverse and gunned out of the driveway. "What happened to Macey," I demanded as he got the car righted.

"There was a fight. She was sick of it. She left."

Did I just hear right? Did he just say my baby sister _left_?

"WHAT?"

I couldn't get another single word out of Grant as we made our way to the school. When we got there barely anyone was there. He quickly parked, and if it could get any better in the farthest parking space from the school. That's what you get for being so close to start time I guess. "We are soo going to be late," I muttered as I slammed the door.

"Please don't take it out on my babe," Grant spoke, but it wasn't himself. He would've scolded me. He just said _please_. Something really bad happened with Macey. Something worse than her running away. I wanted to go find her, but I knew that once my parents got the call of me not being in school the cops would be called pronto. They wouldn't let me go, not me too at least.

I stormed into the school and it seemed to be a little, different from usual. It was unsettling. I walked to my locker and dropped all of my school crap in it before walking to gym. When I got to gym it seemed lifeless. I was so mad that after I changed I was about to punch the wall but thought better of it. I knew the wall would win any day. I got out of the locker room and once the coach said that we were doing dodge ball, I could think of no better way of getting my anger out.

So after I nailed a girl in the face, I decided that it probably wasn't the smartest way to let go of my anger.

Gym flew by rather quickly, and I was glad to get my first class done and out of the way. My sister was out there somewhere. Grant wasn't going to look for her, so I was. I had a feeling she needed her sister, just some kind of feeling.

I walked to my locker and grabbed my English books. I continued to slam my locker and slip into the crowd. I didn't want to be seen, and I wasn't. I was good at blending in when I really tried. When I got to class I sat in the front, knowing Bex, Joe, or Dhine wouldn't _dare_ try and sit by me. I was right. They sat behind, but I was the only one in the front row, dead center.

"Cammie?" I heard Bex state, _obviously_ confused. It was almost funny. And the look Joe and Dhine gave me? Priceless. But was I in the mood to laugh or explain? No. Not at all.

I went through the whole class, getting notes thrown subtly towards me. I ignored them all as I tried to pay attention. It was working as I paid attention. I actually learned something in this class! It was amazing! I learned how Shakespeare was actually very interesting, and how he actually had a…. Strange past time. I mean, the lost ages… what could he have been doing… he could have done ANYTHING.

I quickly gathered my stuff as I walked out of class.

"Cammie!"

"Whoa, Cam!"

"Cam, wait up!"

I ignored the three as I speed off to home ec. Maybe after lunch I would be able to slip out and skip. They would count it as a skip, not a missing. That wouldn't alert my parents until the end of the trimester. I heard people start murmuring my name and turned into the bathroom. I locked myself in a stall and checked my phone. Two minutes until class.

I sat in the bathroom for another minute before I got out and ran to class. I barely made it in time. I sat down at one of the multiple tables, not by Kyle or Zach. I saw both of them stare at me while I sat by people I never sat by before.

"It's Cammie."

I looked up to see Tina. "Hey, Tina," I quietly replied.

"What, I'm not good enough to get a solid greeting from?" she demanded.

"No, Tina, I'm sorry. I-" I couldn't continue. This whole thing about Mace was bugging me way too much. I mean, Grant just seemed, unlively. Something was totally messed up.

"Is this about boys?" she asked me. I looked up.

"What- no," I said solidly, then fell quiet listening to Mrs. Youngquist start telling us about what we were making today. Could this day get any worse? I sat by Tina, a girl who absolutely HATES me. It was just Tina and me, sitting together. The people who normally sat here was just a group of awkwards. People who didn't fit in with any of the other tables. They must've all been sick today as I sat at the table with Tina.

"Then what's up?"

"Nothing," I audibly replied as I got the bowl and hand mixer from one of the drawers on the table. Tina grabbed the flour and chocolate chips as we got the materials for chocolate chip cookies together. It's home ec right? Got to make some treats.

"Well, someone was so out of it she sat by me, so something is obviously bothering you."

I'll admit I was completely confused. Why was Tina _trying_ to talk to me. "Why do you care?" I demanded. If this was something for the school newspaper, I would have her head.

"I have no paper and pencil. I'm all ears. Just get it out," she told me. She cracked a couple eggs and put it in the bowl. I put the softened butter in.

I had no idea what overcome me then, but I just blurted out, "Macey ran away."

"When?" Tina asked actually amazed. "That's your sister right?" she confirmed after.

"Yeah, I don't know when she went. She was gone when I got back." I was amazed how I was telling Tina Walters this. _Tina Walters_. What was I thinking?

"Rough. Do you know anything about what happened?" she asked.

"Absolutely nothing. And it's killing me," I replied even more quietly.

"That's rough. I'm sorry."

The thing that surprised me?

She actually sounded sincere.

We went on making the rest of the cookies just making small talk. It was strange talking to a girl who hated me more than anything last trimester. It was as if she was feeling for me and we were actually friends. It was different, but in a nice way. We had a chuckle when we burnt our first batch of cookies, but the second one went much better. Mrs. Youngquist eerily eyed us but after she taste our cookies, the second batch of course, she gave us an A+. I smiled at Tina and she smiled back.

Maybe we were friends, maybe we weren't. It was nice anyhow that we were at least on good terms. Class ended and I bolted out the door. Suddenly I was being dragged against my will to the nearest exit of the school.

"What?" I was shocked, I couldn't even see who was guiding me considering I was being bombarded by students on both sides. It was like a sea of uniform, but the grip on my arm gave away the owner.

"What's going on?" Zach demanded as we got out of the school.

"Zach, that hurts," I coldly replied as I glared at him. He just held my gaze but demanded again.

"Nothing," I sourly told him but he slammed my body into the wall. "Hurting me isn't helping," I yelled.

"I don't UNDERSTAND," he told me angrily. How had I upset him? What did I DO?

"WHAT don't you understand?" I said in monotone. "What do you need to know?"

"What happened. This weekend we were close. You actually told me things. And now you're shut off and upset about something but you ignore or shun everyone who tries to find out!" he yelled back at me.

"It's none of your business," I spit out getting teary eyed.

This was the worst day of my life, almost certainly.

"Cammie, what's going on?" he asked a little more softly.

"NOTHING!" I screamed. I was sick of this. "NOTHING, is wrong, Zach! I'm going to get a skip when I didn't even try to skip!" I felt like I was just going to break down and bawl.

Instead of getting a shove or a death grip on my wrist, I was wrapped in a hug.

"Cammie, it's okay. Just let it out," he whispered softly into my ear as he buried my head into his shoulder. He turned us around so he was leaning up against the wall and cradling me in his arms.

So I bawled.

"It's okay, shh, it's okay," Zach cooed. But it wasn't okay. Far from it.

"No, it's not," I bitterly said into his shoulder. I felt him freeze, signaling me that he knew it was no good.

"What- Cammie, I've been asking the same question for five minutes. Tell me," he said as, nicely as he could. I could tell curiosity was killing the cat.

"Macey's gone," I whispered. I felt his grip on me tighten.

"When?" he asked.

"I don't know, she's been gone since I got home. Something happened with her and mom or dad," I quietly explained.

"Cam," he said before he hugged me even closer if possible. It was bone-crushing, but at the same time it felt good.

After a while I snuck back in and went to the nurses, saying I got my 'friend'. I was able to get a pass saying that I had, er, health issues that I was late.

I walked over to Jonas who was making some super amazing elaborate image on photoshop.

"Something tells me you didn't have menstrual cramps," he told me.

"What are you _making_?" I asked amazed.

"Cammie," he said in a warning voice never taking his eyes off his computer.

"I needed air," I told him. It was partially true! I did go outside.

"That doesn't make me think that was the only reason," he replied a little more quietly.

"Mace ran away," I said in a whisper.

"Oh, that sucks- WAIT WHAT?" he hissed by the end. "How, what, _when_?" he asked me.

"I don't know. She wasn't home when I got back from alpine ski."

"Did you try, like, _calling _her?" he asked in a duh voice.

"Jonas, she ran away," I snapped.

"Good point," he muttered.

"I think cell phones is the last thing she would bring."

"Yeah, now that I think."

"God, and I thought you were the smart one."

"Talk to Liz. She's amazing with anything."

"You only say that because you're going out with her!" I told him. I looked over and he was blushing. "Figures."

"No, seriously. It's amazing what she can do," he told me as I started up on my own project.

"Why do I think that this has something illegal to do with it," I suddenly stated as I got a chilly feeling down the back of my spine. It was an unnerving chill.

"Oh, it's because you're right."

**PAGE BREAK**

I walked out of class and was immediately grabbed. Well if it isn't, 'get Cammie' day.

"Cammie?" I looked to see Kyle.

Kyle.

LAST PERSON I WANTED TO SEE!

"Hey," I quietly responded.

"Want to go grab lunch?" he asked as he nodded his head towards the main doors.

Maybe I did want to see him.

I gave him my first smile of the day and replied, "Yeah, I think I would like that." We walked out and went to Subway (eat fresh!). Kyle kindly paid for my lunch too, but I knew that if I even pulled out my wallet, he would just accidentally slip money into my pocket. One way or another.

I had a refreshing lunch as Kyle joked it up and lightened the mood. He knew that I didn't want to be pushed, so he tried to cheer me up. The parts I love about him.

I got back to the school and somehow I made it through the rest of the school day, without getting cornered or anything. I was able to avoid everyone in general until I got to my locker.

"Cammie, why won't you TALK to us?" Joe demanded as I reached my locker. I was about to open my mouth when Joe spoke again. "What are you doing, traitor?" I looked left to see Joe glaring at Zach.

"Yeah, you Cake-Eater, go home to your buds and eat some cake," Dhine snapped also.

"What?" I asked. I was beyond confused. Cake-Eater? What did THAT mean?

"Oh, and you didn't bother telling Cammie?" Joe almost yelled.

"What kind of idiotic, self-centered freak are you?" Dhine flat out yelled.

"What's going on?" I stood, completely getting myself involved in this. I finally looked at Zach and he looked blank. His face had not emotion, and just… there was nothing going on. It was as if all life was sucked out of him.

"Cammie, Zach's leaving the school. He's transferring."

**PAGE BREAK**

**Oh snap.**

**I swear to you that we can make this last (la la la :]) = amazingness**

**If you can wait 'til I get home = cool. I'll check out the next chapie too.**

**Then I swear come tomorrow = uh, it was fine, but not tuning back in**

**This will all be in our past = please rewrite this whole mess.**

**I'll mention you in the next chapter if you can figure out what state all the cities mentioned were located in from last chapter I guess...**


	11. Chapie 11

"What?" I stood frozen. Then I turned to Zach and he looked like a puppy that just did a really bad thing. I gave him a heartless chuckle before replying to my own question. "I can't believe you," I ground out, shoving him out of my way as I ran out of the school. I could officially dub this day the worst day of my life.

"Cammie?" I heard Kyle say my name as I ran past everyone in the hall. This was a great attention getter - just what I needed.

I ran out of the doors and when I was just out of the front doors I was grabbed. "CAMMIE!" I knew it was Zach.

"Zach, what the hell did you do," Kyle demanded in a menacing growl.

"We should take this somewhere else," Zach quietly suggested.

"NO!" I screamed. I think I scared them both. "JUST LET ME GO!"

"No, Cam, let me explain," Zach whispered as he held onto my arm.

"Let her go."

I think we were all surprised when we heard Tina make herself heard.

"Tina, look, I'm sorry I don't like you-"

"I know that," she snapped.

"What?" Kyle's confusion was cute and almost funny. But again, not in the mood.

"She needs to go somewhere. She has things she has to do," she told them. Slowly Zach's grip loosened on me, confusion and hurt on his face.

"Thank you, Tina," I whispered before running off.

I left people shocked.

I left people confused.

I heard Kyle tell Zach he was going to spill everything that was going on.

_I_ wanted to know what was going on.

I ran home, not bothering waiting for Grant. First of all I needed to know what happened with Macey, and get my mind off of Zach. What kind of person does that though?

I was halfway home when I remembered when I got stopped a while back by Zach's friends. I fully stopped as I looked out into the woods. I made a split-second decision and ran towards the woods.

No one would be finding me for a while.

I slowed down to a walk as the treehouse came in sight. I stopped at the bottom and looked around for anyone.

"Cammie?" I looked up to see Macey.

Macey.

Wait, MACEY?

"Mace?" I asked completely confused. She gave a small chuckle and moved so I could climb up.

"Hurry, someone might see us," Mace told me as I climbed up.

"I'm pretty sure no one's going to come looking out here, and if we do I'm sure we'd be a lost cause," I gave a small grin. We crawled up against one of the walls and slumped against it.

"What happened, Cammie?" Mace asked me. I stared out into the wilderness. These were the times you could tell we were sisters. The times when we needed a shoulder, we were always caring for each other. It made me feel more calm to know we had each other's backs.

"I didn't know where you were all day," I gave a small smile as I glanced at Mace. Her face was impassive. "Tina and I became friends," I saw Macey's eyes widen a fraction. That was a lot for her. "Zach's transferring," I finished quietly.

"You guys got close didn't you. Over the weekend," Macey talked to me. I just nodded. It seemed after every sentence I would look away, as if I were about to be scolded.

"Well, as you probably already know, I got in an... argument, with mother," she said distastefully.

Mother... she said mother. This must've been a pretty bad argument.

"What was it about?" I asked quietly.

"I need to be free. I need to get away," she quietly told me. I didn't fully understand, but I nodded anyways.

"What-" I caught myself and rethought my thought before spilling, "what do you need to be free from?"

"Mother," Mace replied with hate full in her voice.

"What did she do?"

"She was going to make me date Preston Winters." It took me a moment or two to figure out what that meant. Mom forcing relationships? Preston Winters? OH! He was the rich kid from down the block. "She thinks it would be good for me to date him, it would give me a good reputation in school." I looked back over to her.

I was horrified to see my baby sister with tears forming in her eyes. Mace never got teary eyed.

"Macey!"

"I don't care about reputation. I just want to be me," Mace whispered. I was confused and at a loss. Maybe I shouldn't have gone at the trip. I never thought that it would have resulted in this though. And most of all, why was mom suggesting who Mace should date?

I knew that no words should have been spoken, but I let my mind wander instead. I didn't think about anything as I sat with my sister in the middle of no where in the woods in a tree house.

What was the chances of that ever happening?

After about an hour or two, Mace spoke again with a parched voice.

"Dad's leaving."

"For where?" I asked genuinely curious. He was probably going to visit Grandpa and Grandma in Woodbury, our old town.

"No, Cammie, you don't understand," Mace gave a heartless chuckle. I looked back over at her, she had tears streaming down now.

"Macey!"

"Dad's going back to the war, Cammie!"

**PAGE BREAK**

We both came home after sunset. As we walked in Grant came out of the kitchen rushing to us.

"Cammie, Macey, thank God," Grant got to us and pulled us into an awkward hug.

"Grant," I whispered. He pulled back, stunned at my small voice.

"Macey! Cammie! Where have you been!" I couldn't tell if it was worry or anger that coated mom's voice, but there was something there.

"No where," Mace coldly spilled before walking up the stairs to her room.

They all looked at me. I stared at dad, he looked normal, just confused as to why we were both so upset. I knew they were expecting an answer out of me but I didn't have one. Instead I shook my head and walked up the stairs.

**PAGE BREAK**

"Cammie, what the hell is going on?" Grant yelled at me as I shrunk into my bed.

"Nothing," I replied calmly from under the covers.

"That's bullshit!"

"What would you know?" I screamed back at him. I was in a bad mood.

"More than you!" he seethed back. I glared.

"I came back to find Macey gone, no one tells me anything, I got to school, find out ZACH is transferring schools, I run away, find Macey, find out mom tried to force a relationship, and most of all, that NO ONE bothered to tell me about, oh yeah, that little non-important thing, THAT DAD'S GOING BACK TO THE WAR!" I screamed at him.

I can't even describe how fast his face paled.

"You weren't supposed to know," he quietly told me. "You can't handle it. You and dad, so close-"

"So you weren't going to tell me? Oh yeah, I come home one day and dad isn't home. Must be somewhere else. After a week what would I think? Would you tell me then? TELL ME THEN THAT MY DAD HAS GONE BACK TO THE WAR WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE?"

Grant sighed as he slid back against my door.

"Yeah, I guess we all know 'what the hell is going on'," I told him icily. He looked up at me sadly before slipping out my door. As soon as he left I got up and turned off the lights.

This day was a nightmare.

**PAGE BREAK**

I got to school the next day and slipped past groups of people. These were the times when being able to blend in were amazing. I quickly and quietly finished putting books away at my locker before walking to gym. No one noticed me, and I wasn't sure if that were a good thing or bad thing. I guess right now it was a good thing.

I got by gym class easy enough and there was no Zach. As long as I didn't see his face for a few days I would be okay. Then I would wish him a happy time where ever he goes and it would all be good.

I didn't expect what happened though.

A week went by, and there was no Zach in any of the classes I had with him. I couldn't even hear his obnoxious voice during lunch. So I decided that it had been two weeks and I was going to go say bye to him.

As I was walking out the door I heard mom call out to me.

"What?" I asked, waiting for a repeat.

"Where are you going, sweetie?" she nicely asked me. She had been such a suck up since I found out dad was leaving. He was leaving in three days.

"To Zach's," I replied honestly, but then I saw strange mixed emotions cross her face.

"Where did he move again sweetie? Shouldn't you get Grant to go with you?" she asked me.

"I think I can walk next door, mom," I told her a little confused. Why should I go get Grant? So he can hold my hand as I walked next door?

"He moved already, sweetie-" but that was all I heard.

He moved without saying goodbye.

He left without saying anything.

He left me.


	12. Chapie 12

Sorry. It's more of a filler. But hey, for 25 minutes not bad right?

_**I picked up my bag.**_

She walked right up to us and coughed. Who the hell was this chick? Who does she think she is?

"EXCUSE ME," she said rather loudly. _'You're excused'_. People started looking over, well more or less peeking. They weren't supposed to mind us. We were here daily, and they weren't supposed to disturb us.

"Cameron Morgan?" Tina all but screeched. How the hell does my girlfriend know this girl?

"Hey Tina!" Cameron grinned. Wow. That's a pretty smile. She was picking a fight with Tina? If she knew Tina, why on earth would she do that.

"What are you doing here," Tina spat out. Suddenly I didn't like Tina's tone anymore. It wasn't sweet, it was full of meanness and hatred.

"Gee, you're nice to a transfer student," Cameron rolled her eyes cocking a hip while folding her arms. Girl got attitude.

"What, you get expelled from Gallagher?" Tina smirked, _my_ smirk. As if she had the upper hand. _'Did she?'_

"No, but since we're talking about our old school how's your hair?" It clicked. How they knew each other, why they hated each other, why Tina had blue streaks coming to this school, why Tina always avoided talking about hair color.

Tina and her had some history. Probably pranking history. Tina was glaring at her, her once hazel eyes no longer looking pretty with that scrunch of the eyebrows.

"You changed your hair color too? I thought that brown was so pretty!" I looked back at the girl I was holding in my arms. A natural brown shade would complement her eyes so much more, sort of like the girl in front of us. _'Cameron. Come on bud, you can remember that'_

My thoughts were interrupted when she pushed me and Tina part to get to her locker which we were conveniently next to. _'Next to Joe, gotta remember that'_

As she slammed her locker she looked back. "Have a nice day, Tina!"

With that she walked away, meeting up with a boy who was laughing like crazy. I saw Tina look after the boy. _'History?'_ Suddenly I got a pang at the heart.

_'What the hell?'_

"Come on, babe. Let's get to class." Tina looked up at me smiling, her eyes again pretty and joyful. She gave me a quick peck and we were off to class.

_**I looked around.**_

Over the course of the football season. I dubbed I had developed a crush on Cameron Morgan. From the football game where she let me see her. From the state game.

From the day I snuck into her room.

"Fall is such a peaceful time of year," I said while closing my eyes. I was with her. Alone. And not with Kyle.

Mini victory for me.

"You better believe it," she replied. I think she was just as content as me.

"People say it's the most romantic seasons of the year. I mean it is followed by winter where you can get cozy."

_'Let's see your reaction to THAT'_

Her eyes snapped open and she turned her head to stare at me. I was smirking, on the verge of laughing at her mind.

Then I saw her blush. She looked so pretty with a hint of pink in her cheeks. Her hazel eyes were now turning brown, as if to fit the season.

"I won't lose this game, Gallagher Girl. Especially with Kyle gone, I'll be making my moves. You better watch out." I smiled at her. Fair warning right?

"I'll see you around," I grinned seeing her blush. Maybe I did have a shot. I stood up and left before I screwed something up.

_'Maybe I could get her to love me'_

_**I turned off the light.**_

I put the pillow behind me and leaned back onto the window. I was a little hot still (I was wearing an Under Armor turtleneck, two sweatshirts, and the coat I just shredded off) and I was about to put the blanket down when I saw Cam visibly shiver. By then the lights were all off and the shades were all drawn. I sighed as I draped the blanket over Cammie. As I did so I saw her slide. 'Please not towards me, please not towards me.'

God just didn't want to listen to me today.

Cammie was sound asleep on my chest. I let out frustrated sigh as I let her get comfortable. Her back was faced toward me and her head was on my chest. She clutched the blanket tighter to her as she pushed closer to my body. I shut my eyes, praying for sleep. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad about it. This time God knows who listened to me.

I was asleep in no time.

I woke up from a little movement. I looked down and saw Cammie fluttering open her eyes. Damn. I had no part in this what-so-ever. Then I realized that my arms had wound themselves around Cammie's torso. Well so much for acting innocent. She pulled the blanket closer to her, or shrugging it, or however you say it. Basically she covered her neck.

She then took in her surroundings and then straightened a little bit. She jarred my leg (that had somehow found itself under her legs) so I moved it to rid the pain. She immediately froze. Slowly she calmed down and she started to get comfortable, by moving around on me. She jammed her hand down on my gut as she was about to reposition herself. What could I do? It was painful. I let out a small and quick groan unable to control it. She tensed for a millisecond before relaxing again.

She put her head in the crook of my neck and cuddled - yes _cuddled_ - on top of me. I knew that it had something to do with the cold bus though. By the looks of it she was only wearing a sweatshirt and her coat. Besides her shirt I mean.

I'll shut up.

She slowly relaxed into my body and I held her closer to me. She put a little pressure on my arms, as if she were trying to raise hers, but I kept my arms right where they were. I heard her yawn and then I felt her completely relax. Then I heard her steady breathing. She was asleep, once again.

I was tired too, and was about to fall asleep when I felt Cammie shift on top of me _again_. This time she made it quick and she turned her whole body around. She rested her head on the other side of my neck now and her steady breathing came back. Finally I thought I wouldn't be disrupted if I tried to sleep. My eye lids were closed but I felt her arm move. 'PLEASE not again'.

Instead I felt her small hand clutch my sweatshirt.

She… me… My arms pulled her much closer to my body and I buried my face in her hair.

God, why did I have to love her so much?

I love her.

I love Cammie Morgan.

I fell asleep soon after that, and actually was able to sleep for a long time. Or what felt like a longer period of time. I woke up when I felt Cam stirring. She was so warm and comfortable, just please don't move. Of course that didn't happen, but she did give a quiet sigh of content and then curled up closer to me. She was radiating so much heat….

Suddenly I felt her pull back and I sat up a little more. I felt cold without her laying next to me, and whether she liked it or not I was going to force her to stay with me. I just… I wanted her to stay with me. I wanted to keep her warm. I wanted her to _like_ me.

"Can you just sleep? Please? You can slap me later," I quietly whispered. Finally I barely opened my eyes. I saw her gorgeous brown ones staring back. She blushed and then looked away. I wanted to give my famous smirk but thought better of it. What if she thought it was annoying? _'But it's a signature…'_

I started tracing circles on her back, trying to get her a little sleepy and tired so that she would fall forward again. At least for the rest of the trip. "Gallagher Girl, I'm tired," I softly whispered to her, trying to coax her to lay down. The blanket was pooled around her, and I couldn't pull it up without her coming with it.

"Then go to sleep," she simply replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Oh I wish. It would've been even more simple if she would just _lay down_.

"I was comfortable," I honestly replied. Honest was the best bet to go, because eventually I'd spill it.

"Zach-" I pulled on her back trying to get her to lie down. I didn't want to argue. I wanted her to comply and I would face the consequences later. And even better she finally did lie down. I pulled her to my chest and her head rested in the crook of my neck. Contently I sighed. I could get to sleep no problem.

And I did.

The weekend flew by fairly quickly, along with Cammie getting hurt and uh… some awkward bandaging. But now we were on the bus home and I wasn't going to complain. My bed was exactly what I needed right now.

But where was she? Why wasn't she here yet? I got off the bus deciding to go look for her. I got in the hotel to see Nick and Courtney whispering to each other.

Why was Cammie in his arms.

She wrapped her arms around him as he carried her and he blushed. Suddenly I saw Courtney's eyes go cold. By then I was jogging over to them wondering why Cammie looked like she was out and Courtney so mad at Nick."I swear I didn't do anything. I'm carrying her with _two arms,_" Nick whispered back in a rush to Courtney.

"What happened." I demanded. My words came out in a rush. They stopped and looked at me.

"No, nothing happened. She just wouldn't wake up," Courtney sighed. She didn't sound so mad anymore. She must've been jealous for Cam to hold her arms around Nick. She always had a thing for Nick.

Wait arms around Nick?

"And you're letting _Nick _carry her?" I asked. I didn't want to sound rude, but maybe someone with a little more muscle? And um this jealous kid right here would be all for carrying the sleeping beauty.

"What, got something against me, man?" Nick replied. I saw the humor in his eyes. _'Yes, Nick. I don't want any boy touching my girl'_

"No, but - nevermind. I'll take her."

I walked over to Nick and pulled Cammie into my arms. She clung to me and I started walking away. I felt her nestle into my arms and I smirked. She wasn't ever going to live this one down. I got to the bus and realized that she was fast asleep. What a cute girl.

Was she a narcoleptic?

The bus ride was the same old same, Cam and I sleeping. With each other. I loved it. I loved having her next to me. Best feeling. The bus came to a stop and I heard Nick mutter something about being glad to be home. I got up and saw Cammie not exactly motivated to move.

I laughed as I threw Cammie over my shoulder. I knew she secretly loved my attention. I walked out of the bus and her brother menacingly growled at me.

"What the hell do you think you're fucking doing?"

Someone's not in a good mood.

"Hey, Grant. You're little sister just couldn't get enough of me this weekend," I cheekily replied. I smirked and put her down. Overall, that was a great weekend.

Spent it with the love of my life.

Cameron Morgan.

_**I shut the door.**_

She froze. No. this wasn't the way this was supposed to happen.

"What?" her broken voice asked in the silence. I couldn't find it in me to even reply to her. "I can't believe you," she ground out. She shoved me and I came back to life. She ran and I barely missed her hand. I started after her. Why did he tell her? I had this planned out. I was going to tell her tonight in her room and she could freak out there and-

"Cammie?" Kyle called out. Damn him. He should've never gotten that scholarship. Him and Cammie should've never- she was out the doors.

"CAMMIE!" I finally grabbed her.

"Zach, what the hell did you do," Kyle asked me not so kindly. Well this was becoming a scene.

"We should take this somewhere else," I quietly suggested seeing all the parents and teachers start looking over.

"NO! JUST LET ME GO!"

"No, Cam, let me explain," I would beg. I needed her to know that I loved her and I wasn't just leading her on this whole time.

"Let her go."

TINA?

"Tina, look, I'm sorry I don't like you-" I was getting mad. Can't I just explain to this girl before she dubbed she hated me forever?

" I know that," Tina snapped. Wasn't expecting that per say.

"What?" Kyle was confused beyond belief. I wanted to smack him and get him to leave.

"She needs to go somewhere. She had things she has to do," Tina spoke. _'Things to do like moving on. She doesn't like me. She doesn't want anything to do with me.'_

"Thank you, Tina," Cammie whispered before running off, never once looking back.

_'She doesn't love me'_

_**I left.**_


	13. Chapie 13

December.

January.

Cliché Twilight parody.

This was a joke.

**PAGE BREAK**

December and skipping school, possibly one of the best feelings ever. Yes, I did have my parents permission to be out of school and in Lake Placid, New York sitting with Kyle in the ice area as the zamboni resurfaced the ice.

"Wow… she's doing amazing," Kyle grinned looking down at me.

"It was only warm-ups, Kyle. Do I hear a hint of love in there?" I teased. He smiled back at me and slung his arm around me and brought me in close.

"Course not. She's MC. She can't ever beat you," he lazily smiled. I couldn't help but smile back.

The zamboni retreated off the ice and the players soon came out.

They called off starting line ups in both English and Finnish. As they lined up on the blue line MK skated to the penalty box and was handed the microphone.

"Aren't professionals supposed to sing?" Kyle whispered over to me.

"Oh, MK _is_ a professional," I quietly replied. Mk was a girl of many talents, and music was one of her greatest ones. She sang the Star-Spangled Banner with such a strong and beautiful voice, it was shocking and almost breath-taking. She sang with such passion it made me want to close my eyes to rest. The song was over, however, and the Finland anthem was sang next by a professional. They everything whizzed by and soon enough the puck was dropped and the game was in play.

Kyle and I had some small chat as we watched USA beat up on Finland solidly the first period. By the end they had four goals already. Respectively, USA made 1 goal a period for the next two and finished with a 6-0 win.

"That was pathetic," Kyle whispered in my ear as a Finland fan sat dejectedly next to us. I shook my head at him but he smirked back. My heart constricted a tad and I didn't understand. I smiled up at Kyle as he grabbed my hand and led us down behind the benches. I smiled as MK finished up her interview with the news. When she was done she looked back and smiled at me. I smiled back and waved. She scurried back to the locker rooms and Kyle and I aimlessly walked around while waiting for her.

These days it was just me, MK, and good ol' Kyle. My dad's deployment was changed to the next year, for reasons I don't understand but didn't care for. He was staying with me, and everything was normal and happy - the way it should be.

After MK finally got out we went to some restaurant and messed around, eventually getting kicked out right after we paid the bill. We walked the streets and Kyle bought me some New York shirt as a souvenir. MK teased him relentlessly for that.

After the whole Olympics deal with MK, which USA of course got first in, Kyle and I went to the airport to fly back to Virginia.

"MKKKKK you should totally come with us," I stood there in the airport where MK was seeing us off.

"Well I could, or I could go with my team-"

"Which will eventually split up cause no one else from your team lives in Virginia," I finished for her.

"I HATE BEING THE THIRD WHEEEEEL," MK teasingly whined, but she just smirked. I knew that I had no way of winning this, and that it was going to be Kyle and I back. It wasn't a long ride and I was pretty sure that Kyle was going to sleep, because that's what Kyle always does.

"Well fine, if you want to leave me with this-" I looked over to see Kyle sleeping in the chair in the terminal. "I don't even need to finish that sent-"

"Yeah, yeah I got you."

I sighed before hugging MK and smiling. I woke up Kyle and we walked down into the plane.

"Have a nice nap?" I teased Kyle. He rolled his eyes and grabbed his beanie hat from his bag. Which was black. "Aaaaaand you're planning on sleeping more I see," I added while following him to our seats. He put it on and half turned back to flash me a smile which made my heart beat a little harder.

He then stood outside our seat and asked, "Do you want the window?" I smiled at him before taking the window seat. He then followed me in and put his bags underneath the seat in front of us. He then got comfortable on the left side so that he could look at me when he opened his eyes and closed his eyes. His eyes shut and his face went peaceful.

"I hope you know this is a four hour flight," I told him before pulling out the remote control in the arm rest to play games.

"Perfect time to get in a nap," he replied. I rolled my eyes and put in earphones and tried to turn on the screen. It wouldn't go on since the plane hadn't started yet. Hopefully it would last me four hours, though, otherwise Kyle wasn't getting a four hours nap.

I felt pressure on my arm and looked over to see Kyle pulling for my hand. I let him hold my hand and went back to scrolling through songs in my ipod. I felt eyes on me so I looked up to look at Kyle, who was of course they one who was staring at me. He had an amused look on his face and he kissed my hand. I then realized that there were other girls slowly walking by looking semi-disappointed.

I gave him a look and he gave a small grin. I sighed realizing that Kyle was similar to Zach in so many ways.

Why was I comparing the two.

My train of thought changed as the attendants went over plane crash procedures. I decided that I was going to wait with the games and instead read a book because I knew that games weren't going to last me four hours.

Yep, my luck ended when they turned out the lights so that everyone could sleep. I realized then that it was actually late out, around ten. No wonder why Kyle was tired. He had a bedtime of nine.

"Kyle, I know why you're tired! It's past your bed time!" I said with fake enthusiasm. He gave me a glare before closing his eyes and pulling my hand hard so that I would be pulled towards him but not completely. I glared back at him for the sudden jerk but he grinned back not opening his eyes knowing my response.

I sighed and turned on my games, knowing that this was going to somehow last me four hours of a flight

**PAGE BREAK**

I woke up Kyle kissing me softly.

"We're here," he smiled at me from the proximity. I saw that I was leaning against the window with my arms around Kyle.

"Were they-"

"Nah I wanted you to think that though," he cut me off while kissing my forehead and pulled our stuff out from under the seats. "Ready?" he asked while holding his hand out for me. I took his hand and stumbled a tad from being so sleepy. He laughed and said, "And you say I'm the sleepy one?"

"It's like one in the morning," I shot back. I only heard his chuckle as he guided me out.

After picking up our bags we got outside to see my dad there to pick us up. We dropped off Kyle and he gave me a sweet smile before disappearing into his back yard.

"Seems like a nice kid," my dad muttered as he pulled out.

"He is really nice. But he's so mysterious." _Like Zach._

"So I'm taking it that you like him."

"Thank you Captain Obvious."

"It's not like you come full out and tell me this stuff now."

"It's okay, dad. I was only kidding."

"You sound dead," he chuckled.

"Well yeah, what time is it? Like two in the morning?" I replied.

We got home and I went straight to bed; I was dead tired.

I was snuggled into my bed when I heard my door open just a crack and my dad whisper, "Night, Cammie. Love you."

**PAGE BREAK**

It was normal a day as it could've been for break. I walked downstairs to find Grant making pancakes with Macey sitting on the bar stool by the counter. I heard the exercise machine and assumed that dad was on it, thinking mom was at work.

"When's breakfast going to be done?" I asked plopping myself down at the table.

"He just started," Mace groaned back.

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant," I whined. Usually Grant was good about getting up early and feeding us.

"Well sorry I wanted to sleep in today," Grant sarcastically replied.

"That's no excuse," Mace replied with her head in her arms.

"And why am I making pancakes? I'm the boy, you two should get your lazy asses up and do this," Grant stepped away from the counter from where he was making the instant pancakes.

"LANGUAGE," I replied as Macey snickered.

"Oh, I should leave then," he responded and faked walking out the door.

"MAKE PANCAKES," Macey screamed and Grant was scrambling back and making pancakes in no time. No one messed with Mace in the morning. After about ten minutes of waiting he was done with the first batch and Macey and I had eaten it in no time.

"Thanks for leaving me some," Grant mumbled before bringing the next plate of pancakes to the table. Suddenly the door bell rang and Macey went out to get it, seeing I wasn't about to move.

"Why am I getting the door for _your_ friends who decide to pay _random_ visits," Macey glared at me as she returned to eating pancakes.

"CAMMIE!" I looked up to see a happy looking Bex about ready to squeeze me to death in a bear hug. I smiled warmly at her and finished chewing before hugging her. No use in trying to kill myself on top of her methods. "What are you doing tonight?" she smiled as I thought.

"Nothing?" It came out more as a question than a statement. It was my first night back and I had no idea if I had anything going on.

"Good cause we're going to the basketball game tonight," Bex smiled at me.

Which is how I found myself at the boys varsity Roseville game that night.

"This is pre-game warm-ups," Bex told me as we walked into the stands. I knew that much from my experience but I kept my mouth shut and nodded as if I was clueless. We walked around the court to get to the student section.

"CAMERON MORGAN? AT A BASKETBALL GAME? NO WAY?" I laughed as I got teased by numerous people. Bex and I took a seat near the top of the bleachers seeing that most of the ones near the court were taken. I watched as the boys ran around passing and taking shots.

After the designated time the buzzer went off and the boys went to their respective locker rooms.

"This should be a good game," Bex told me as we sat down since nothing was going on.

"Yeah? Why?" I curiously asked. I didn't really involve myself in high school sports very often.

"Cause we're playing Cretin-Derham." I pretended to know what that meant. Soon enough the teams came running out and the national anthem was sang. Next thing I knew our whole high school section was standing up and screaming as the ref threw the ball in the air.

It was then I realized that Kyle was playing. Well DUH he was playing. He got a scholarship to play here. I watched as he just _flowed_ out there. He was so natural and graceful, he made it look like it was simple to play. Of course I knew that it wasn't as simple as he was making it. I watched in silence as our team set up in their zone, the other team making as much noise as possible. I never understood the screams at the other team. It was annoying and made me want to do well to shut them up. It always worked.

After a couple passes and some picks we scored a 3 pointer to start us on top, slowly our team retreated as the other team took their time setting up. Finally they were in our zone, calmly dribbling the basketball and calling out numbers and letters, obviously setting up a system. Before their play maker was able to call out another number the ball was out of his hand. My eyes widened at how simply Kyle had snatched the ball out of his hands. Kyle ran down no pressure to complete a simple lay up.

"I TOLD YOU TO WATCH OUT FOR HIM. LETS GET IT IN GEAR!" Cretin's coaches weren't too pleased with the play I could tell. This time their team set up more quickly, calling out plays and keeping their eyes on Kyle. Kyle made one movement and the ball was passed away from him. I realized why they had Kyle covering the point guard now. It would make the other team jumpy. I saw Kyle suddenly break down the court with their point guard sprinting after him. I looked back at the play to see our team had suddenly regained possession and saw Joe- JOE? He's on varsity? I shrugged the thought as I watched him launch it down the court so Kyle could receive it and do a simple lay up. Again.

I heard their coaches screaming again and a time out was called on their part. I now knew why Kyle got his scholarship. He was good. I looked at him in their huddle. He wasn't smiling. We were winning 7-0 in the first 2 minutes and he wasn't happy? He must've felt eyes on him because he looked up into the high school section. I watched as his eyes searched through the crowd to figure out who was looking at him. Finally his eyes landed on me. I grinned and almost laughed when I saw his eyes bulge a widen a fraction. That was the best response of 'wow-I'm-shocked' I've ever gotten out of him.

I saw him smile at me as he listened into his coach once again. Then I saw everyone look at Kyle as he gave a small grin back. I heard Joe scream "CAMMIE'S HERE!" and their whole team laugh. The time out was over and they went back to playing the game. The game wore on and the other team got more and more calm as they started to get points up on the board. Almost every single kid's hair was drenched who was playing. I wouldn't want to hug any one of them.

At half time the score was 22-19 in our favor. The school dance team came out and preformed some song to fill in some time. No one else needs to know but our dance team SUCKS. Maybe MK could come over and help them out. Nah no use. I was zoned out when I felt someone shake my shoulder. I looked over and Kyle was there

"Wha- Ky- Aren't you supposed to be in your locker room?" I asked. He was covered in sweat and look kind of attractive at the same time.

"Yes, but I needed to tell you something that I should've said in the beginning. Something I never said cause it was understood. But I need you to know. I love you."

I just stared at him. He came out here just to tell me this in the middle of his basketball game?

I smiled at him and was about to reply but he came in to give me a hard squeeze. Lovely covered in sweat now. He kissed my cheek and skipped steps down and ran back into the locker room.

"Well that was… er different," Bex told me after a couple minutes.

"You're telling me," I replied.

They boys came running out and the game was started once again. As the game went on the score got closer, now a 42-41 game with our team barely hanging on.

"CAMMIE!" I looked for whoever screamed my name to hear the whistle go off. I ignored whoever and looked back to the court only to find Kyle on the ground.

"What the-" I softly started before Bex explained for me.

"He just fell," she told me watching him as her face paled.

"Has he done this before?" I asked. I'd never been to a game. I would have no idea.

"Um, I don't think so. He'll be fine," she sent me a reassuring smile that wasn't reassuring at all. They took Kyle out and he sat on the seats. The trainer came over to talk to him for a second but left, letting me know that it wasn't anything too serious.

I watched as our boys battled but ended up losing the game 52-50.

Bex and I walked out to the main entrance to wait for Kyle, but even thirty minutes after the game was over with no one there were no signs of him coming out. We decided to leave and Bex's parents dropped me off at home.

Once I got home from the game I went to my room and turned on the music. I didn't even get a minute into the song before my door was pushed open.

"Cameron," I looked up to see my dad standing in the doorway.

"Hey," I replied.

"You need to come with me right now," his voice was urgent, almost panicky.

"Why what happened?" I asked confused. Instead of telling me he grabbed me and pulled me out to the car which Grant had pulled out of the garage and was driving.

Something was so very wrong.

"What happened, what's going on," I said in a more demanding voice as dad lugged me out to the car. He opened the door and I slid in the car, him following behind.

"Step on it, Grant," dad said.

He never told Grant to speed.

By then I was mentally freaking out. Something was wrong. Mom was at home so nothing was wrong with her. Macey in her room with the volume cranked up which told me nothing was wrong with her. I sat in the car going through each person to figure out who the problem occurred to. It had to have something to do with Grant- God no Bex?

"Was it Bex?" I croaked out. I felt the car propel forward.

"Hell no," Grant gritted out. Not Jonas, not Liz, Zach?

Just as I was about to ask dad softly told me.

"Kyle, sweetheart."


	14. Chapie 14

My heart stopped beating for what seemed like forever. Kyle? No… Was this related to the problem at the basketball game? Was he in critical condition or just hurt? He had to be in critical condition, otherwise we wouldn't be speeding down the streets like this. My heart constricted. I realized we were racing to the hospital. Which didn't give me a hopeful outcome.

Grant sharply pulled in the parking lot taking the first spot he saw. I sat frozen in the back seat. We were really at the hospital; not many good things could come out of that.

Dad pulled me out of the car and held onto my hand as I stumbled along. Things passed in a blur as I stumbled in and out of doors.

"Visiting hours are over, gentlemen." A nurse stepped out in front of us trying to kindly turn us away.

"We're here for Kyle Heag. He's been asking for Cammie and this is her."

The nurse paled as she immediately let us in.

Never a good sign. I was starting to feel weak and queasy. Grant came back to support me as dad walked ahead and silently listened to the nurse's report on Kyle. I was too far gone to even listen.

I stared at the floor watching as my feet moved one in front of the other by muscle memory rather than my command. Grant whispered nice things into my ear trying to reassure me but none of them actually entered my brain.

Everything was going wrong.

Finally we made it to the room and I stood outside as everyone walked in but me. Grant stopped one step after me realizing that I was in no condition to do this on my own. He dropped the arm that was guiding me and instead grabbed my hand trying to send reassurance to me. Slowly he guided me and I all I saw were wires.

More. And. More. Wires.

That image would never leave my head from that day.

I stared in shock as I saw Kyle under an oxygen mask with needles and wires coming everywhere from his body.

"He was getting worse and worse so we were forced to put a mask on him," the nurse quietly explained.

As Kyle laid motionless on the bed, the only sign of life the monitor beeping, I saw the Kyle I saw the first time I ever saw him.

The emotionless kid with who no one understood.

"We may have to send him to another hospital if his condition worsens," the nurse added on. I walked over to the side of the bed and almost puked at the smell of all the equipment.

"Hey, Kyle," I whispered down to him. Suddenly the heart rate monitor raced and his eyes started to twitch. I was shoved out of the way as nurses came in and started to pull or shove random things to each other. I was ushered out of the room as they fluttered. "What's happening?" My question came out hoarse, as if I had been deprived of water for days in a desert.

"He's waking. This is a good thing," my dad smiled at me as if everything was going to be alright.

I knew it wasn't.

After what seemed like an eternity but was really only two hours, the number of nurses running in and out decreased leaving only a few in the room. Running some check ups, the nurses came out to explain that Kyle woke up; they had to remove the oxygen mask also doing many tests. He was asking for me and I was allowed to go in.

I walked in and he was staring at the ceiling. I walked up to the side and pulled a chair up knowing it was going to be a while.

"I'm a prodigy child."

I stared at him as he stared at the ceiling never once looking at me.

"I was supposed to be the amazingly sweet, smart, and charming boy. But I wasn't. It wasn't my nature. If I got anything less than one-hundred on my school assignments I was grounded, " he spoke briefly not once pausing for my reaction but would then lapse.

"I had a low attention span for things that I had not worry for when I was little. As I grew up I started to want to please my parents. Never could meet their expectations." He sounded broken, even angry at himself.

"I started sports and learned that I could really excel through those. I was above average in school but I actually _wanted _to do sports which gave me the extra drive."

I listened as Kyle told me parts of him I never knew.

"I would still hear their voices though. In the night when I couldn't do anything but take it. So I ran. It cleared my head and I ran until I collapsed of exhaustion. And then you came into the nurse's office that day. You saw me and only looked at me with curiosity I couldn't help but think you were like the rest, thinking I was some failure of a prodigy. Yet at the same time I was intrigued and I wanted to talk to you more. I didn't like you but I knew I had to see how you reacted to me before I judged. Then we started playing basketball and you looked at me differently then everyone else, not as the stuck up rich kid who ditched school, was super smart, and 'amazing' at sports but as me," he finished in a whisper.

And I never would've guessed if this never happened.

"But tell me, was it out of pity after you saw me skipping and always alone?"

"No," I firmly replied my eyes brimming with tears.

He gave a half grin but it looked forced; he turned his face to me.

"I love you, Cammie."

Suddenly the monitors started beeping exotically. "Kyle?"

"It's alright. It'll just be a while before I see you again."

I stared back horrified as he gave me a crooked grin; he knew something I didn't, and it wasn't something good.

"Miss we're going to have to ask you to leave the room." My head spun to the new voice to see a doctor. "You need to leave," he demandingly repeated as I was dragged away from whatever they started doing to Kyle.

I was at a loss for words.

It was hours later of staying at the hospital before a doctor came out. I stared at him trying to figure out from his expression if the news was good or bad.

"He's in critical condition and being sent to another hospital. He's in stable enough to be transported so that's happening immediately. Further information will be informed when other information is received." I was glad the news wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.

I stared at no on in particular as I zoned out. It was as if some dumb person were writing my life out to make it as miserable as possible. They were doing a pretty good job.

Next thing I knew I was waking up in my own bed to the sound of my door opening. I looked over and froze.

Dad was in his uniform.

"No," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, Cam. I tired to get them to postpone deployment but they wouldn't let me. I have to go in," he told me as he walked to me. I saw the sorrow in his eyes yet I still felt betrayed in a way.

"Dad-" I started off brokenly.

"Be good until I get back. I love you, Cam," he made it brief knowing that he wouldn't be able to leave any other way. He gave me a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

I stared as he walked out the door and I heard his steps down the stairs.

I felt a bad case of déjà vu and everything went black.

**PAGE BREAK**

"Dad?" I woke up to someone putting a wet cloth on my forehead.

"It's me," Grant whispered back. I didn't dare open my eyes. Reality wasn't a place I wanted to be right now.

"Why now?"

"I know baby girl. I'm sorry."

"Don't say sorry for things you can't control," I whispered back. I felt him pick me up and hug me. I finally opened my eyes as I wrapped my arms around him.

Grant was going to be my rock for the next couple of months.

**Page Break**

**I'm not really happy with this, but honestly I should've updated over spring break which was a long time ago. But um… Sorrrrry. Did not like this at all. Plus it's super short. I know what I'm going to do with the rest of the story, just it's a struggle putting it into words and making it flow nicely, as if it could happen in real life….**

**Actually I'm not really happy with the story in general. Like I have repeated stuff and it's just… not that great. I'm thinking of pulling it all back to redo it. Would you rather: **

**A) Have me continue this story in it's own crappy way and rewrite it after it's all done**

**B) Rewrite it now**

**C) Rewrite it while updating**

**Your thoughts would be much appreciated.**


	15. Chapie 15

OH BOY. LONG OVER DUE. So no rewrite, but slow updates. Bare with me?

** PAGE BREAK**

"So are you going to the basketball game Friday? First game of sections," Bex added.

"Um, I'm not sure yet," I responded. Basketball held so many bad memories for me. Kyle just put the cherry on top.

"We're playing Richfield, ought to be a good game," Joe chimed in coming up besides us.

"When is it?" I asked back. Macey finally forgave Mom around Christmas but things were still tense. Grant was relying on me to help keep the peace and I was leaning on him to get me through the times. Kyle had been moved to the other better hospital, but at the other 'better' hospital they didn't allow visitors to visit patients that were in conditions like Kyle's. So it had been a few solid months. Dad was sending letters every week updating us and I made sure to send him two letters for every one. I told him everything that was going on at home and how Macey and Mom were finally starting share things and go shopping together. After a disastrous trip with me and her friends being challenged, she had no choice - or so Macey claims.

"Friday. Were you not listening?" Dhine rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I was listening. I guess I should've been more specific - what time?" I threw back at him.

"Well, dear Cameron, it is at 8 and I would be pleasured if you would come cheer us on," Joe cheekily smiled at me. I couldn't help the laugh that came out.

"When would you like me there, Mr. Ryan?"

"Six o'clock sharp would be lovely," he smiled back.

"Remind me why we would show up so early?" Bex asked looking incredulously at Joe.

"So I can woo Cammie with my awesome basketball knowledge." Bex and I both gave him a raised eyebrow. Except Bex's looked more scary and threatening. "Or teach her how the hell basketball works."

"I got that covered," Dhine smirked as he threw an arm around me.

"_I_ got that covered," Grant walked up throwing a glare at Dhine. Dhine immediately took his arm off me and I rolled my eyes at him; how he was still scared of my brother I didn't know. Grant was all talk, sure he looked big but he's never hit anyone - well that I've known of.

"So whenever we get there's the time then?" Bex asked putting on a fake smile.

Sensing the conversation was coming to an end, I avoided the awkward moment of having my friends worship my brother by walking to my locker to get everything I needed for English. After a quick swap I was in class sitting dutifully next to Liz.

"Long time no speak." She gave me a look but gave me a smile nonetheless.

"Oh yes, yesterday's awesome conversation about Jonas didn't do it for ya?" she asked in an adorable drawl.

"Oh it was very enlightening. However on a more exciting subject-"

"Cammie, of course I'll tutor you."

"Eh, not exactly what I was going for but I like this better." She gave me a soft laugh but we had to cut it short due to class starting. School went fast enough and before I knew it, it was Friday and I was standing at Eden Prairie high school about to watch sections.

"Cam, I'm gona get some food. Do you want anything?" I shook my head at Bex and walked inside the gym. Of course I showed up at six, just like Joe asked but I was really doubting that he would even be here. Bex had been trailing Grant like a love sick puppy and I really didn't want to see that. I looked towards the floor to see Edina and Wayzata playing. It was a pretty close game but it looked like Edina had control. I had to do a double take when I heard a familiar voice calling out the shots.

"Josh! No, set it up guys!" I looked to see Zach of all people calling the shots but ended up actually taking the shot himself. I looked over my should to make sure that Grant or Bex were no where in sight before running over towards the Wayzata bleachers across the gym. Hidden in the crowd, I watched the rest of the game and found out that Zach wasn't actually the point guard but the shooting guard instead. But their team was almost fluent throughout, any person taking any position. I sat near the parents making most everyone think that I was a sister watching her brother, or so I assumed seeing how many people didn't even give me a second glance. Soon the next game started up and I ventured from the parents but still sat behind a lingering Wayzata section. I was almost captivated by the passes of the next team, watching the ball fly crisp into the hands of a teammate.

"Cammie?" Surprised I looked up and saw Zach looking at me with a little bit of incredulity.

"Uh, hey, Zach," I replied realizing how a lot of people were glancing at us. I guess seeing a kid wearing Edina would but them in a sour mood seeing how Edina dominated the last 2 minutes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked his brows furrowed as he sat down. He wouldn't look at me though but looked down or straight ahead.

"Well I came to support my team but they're playing later… as in a lot later."

"Oh. Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked with uncertainty. This was weird. Usually Zach was confident and just did things without asking. Like one time he took my pencil and never gave it back. Or another time when he bought me a cookie when I really wanted one but didn't have any money on me.

"Sure," I replied still looking at him. Finally he met my gaze and gave me a small smile. The game started up and we started talking just as normal friends; no flirting, no cockiness, just nothing but stories and smiles.

"So no more skiing?" I asked after a while. The question had been bugging me considering that he was a pretty good skier. Before he could answer the buzzer rang signifying the half.

"Oh... I have to go now. The bus leaves as soon as the second half starts," he stated as he quickly started gathering his stuff.

"ZACH!" Zach's head snapped up and I looked to see a boy with brown wavy hair and blue eyes. "Hello there, pretty lady," the boy winked at me. I glanced to see Zach staring at the kid with wide eyes almost in disbelief.

"Uh, er Cammie this is Josh. Josh, Cammie." With this the blue eyes just seemed to light up.

"_You're_ Cammie? Well isn't this a treat? Did you come down to watch Zach play?" Josh asked with an impish grin.

"Actually I was supposed to meet this guy who was going to teach me all the fouls..." I trailed off looking towards the exit. "But I don't think he was being serious and Grant's here instead..."

"Grant's here?" Zach repeated looking at me. His eyes held a little bit of fear and I was curious what was going on inside Zach's head. "Well- crap! We have to go Josh, Coach is going to kill us," Zach finished looking at the clock.

"No no no. We have time. Let's just sit down and have a little chat," Josh replied giving Zach a look. Zach on the other hand looked desperate to get out of there. "So Cammie, when'd you come to Roseville?"

I brushed away the fact he knew where I lived even though it was creepy and replied, "Well I started this school year so I dunno. September?"

"September 3rd," Zach muttered but turned a little pink once Josh and I looked at him.

"Any other embarrassing facts you know that Cammie might not?" Josh questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Josh we have to go," Zach replied slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Sorry, Cam. It was nice talking to you." He shot me an apologetic smile while grabbing Josh and lugging him away.

At the bottom of the stairs Josh shouted out "Cammie do you like Zach?" to which Zach hit him in the shoulder and demanded whether he was in sixth grade or not.

With a quick wave at the doors, they left and I turned my attention back to the game. Did it make me a little happy that Zach knew the exact date I came here and I didn't? Yes. Did I still maybe have feelings for Zach? Maybe.

"Was that Zach I just saw?" Bex demanded sitting next to me.

"Possibly," I replied looking for Grant. He seemed to be entranced and patiently waiting for the next whistle to come up.

"And you two were conversing," she asked in one of those annoying clarification ways. Rolling my eyes I replied that I had. After a few of her annoying questions and eyeing me with that awkward stare of warning, we got back to watching the game. The orange team was crushing their opponent and little by little people from our school trickled in. After the orange team killed it, our team came running out to take the court. There was a lot of pre-chanting before the game going between both sides with hand signals shared.

Finally the game was started and Dhine got control of the ball. We weren't even seven seconds into the game before the first foul was called. I had just looked away for a second and when I looked back I saw Dhine on the ground and the other player arguing the call. Generally when the other player is on the ground in the middle of the court there isn't much room for 'tripping over his own feet'. I sighed realizing they were one of those teams. The ones that play dirty and don't care who gets hurt as long as at the end of the day they win. These kinds of teams are the reason what lead to my hate of basketball.

**Kudos to anyone who guesses why Cammie hates basketball! Or what happened ;)**


End file.
